Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has filed a bill seeking to abolish the travel tax to make travel more accessible for Filipinos, ease financial burdens, boost tourism, and strengthen ties within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“All Filipinos, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities, must be able to travel freely, without any form of hindrance. This is a right guaranteed by the Constitution,” Cayetano said in his Senate Bill No. 424.
“All Filipinos, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities, must be able to travel freely, without any form of hindrance.”
The travel tax, imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183, was signed nearly five decades ago. The veteran legislator described it as outdated and no longer aligned with current economic and regional goals.
To support regional cooperation, the seasoned lawmaker’s bill also proposes exempting ASEAN nationals from the travel tax, fulfilling the Philippines’ commitment under the ASEAN Tourism Agreement of 2002, which calls for the phasing out of travel levies among member states.
The senator cited a local airline study estimating that while the government may lose around P4 billion in revenue from the tax removal, the economy could gain as much as P299 billion through increased tourism and spending.
“By abolishing the travel tax, we inch closer towards realizing the freedom of movement that our fundamental law envisions for every citizen.”
“By abolishing the travel tax, we inch closer towards realizing the freedom of movement that our fundamental law envisions for every citizen,” he said.
Cayetano also pointed to an existing precedent — Memorandum Order No. 29 (2023), which exempts travelers departing from international airports in Mindanao and Palawan bound for Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) from the travel tax until June 30, 2028.
He stressed that this measure – a proposal left by former Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III in the 19th Congress – aims to reduce travel costs for ordinary Filipinos, something he is determined to pursue.
“It is high time to give travelers a break and allow for tourism to flourish by removing one of the barriers to travel,” Cayetano concluded.
