Senator Erwin Tulfo has filed a bill abolishing the travel tax, arguing that it hinders the right to travel for Filipinos.
Tulfo’s Senate Bill No. 1409 seeks to remove the travel tax, citing the ASEAN Tourism Agreement which the Philippines signed in 2002.
“Nearly fourteen years since the Philippines signed the ASEAN Tourism Agreement, we still impose this travel tax,” the legislator pointed out.
“The measure is a concrete step toward ensuring that travel becomes more equitable, accessible, and reasonably priced for Filipinos.”
According to the lawmaker, the measure is a “concrete step toward ensuring that travel becomes more equitable, accessible, and reasonably priced for Filipinos”.
The current collection of the travel tax is based on several laws. Republic Act No. 1478 (Tourism Board Law) allocates 50% of the collections to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority Board of Travel and Tourist. Meanwhile, RA 7722 (Higher Education Act) allots 40% of the revenue to the Commission on Higher Education, and RA 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009) allots the remaining 10% of the collections to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Currently, travel tax rates for economy to first-class passage range from P1,620 to P2,700. Standard Reduced rates are P810 to P1,350, and Privileged Reduced rates for dependents of Overseas Filipino Workers are P300 to P400.
“We have to remove these barriers that disempower Filipinos to travel.”
“If we really want to improve the country’s tourism sector and be at par with our neighboring Southeast Asian countries, we have to remove these barriers that disempower Filipinos to travel,” the senator remarked.
“Filipinos deserve a better travel experience that could render not only good memories but also better expose them to various cultures around the world,” he concluded.
