Senator Erwin Tulfo has filed a bill in the Senate seeking to abolish the country’s long-standing travel tax, a move he says will make international travel more accessible and equitable for all Filipinos.
Senate Bill No. 1409, titled “An Act Abolishing the Travel Tax,” aims to eliminate the decades-old levy collected from Filipinos traveling abroad. The measure seeks to align the Philippines with international and regional agreements promoting tax-free mobility among citizens, especially within the ASEAN region.
Under the current law — specifically, Section 73 of Republic Act No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009 — travel tax revenues are divided among three agencies: 50% goes to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), 40% to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for tourism-related programs, and 10% to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
Tulfo argued that while these allocations support important government programs, the financial burden unfairly falls on Filipino travelers, who already pay numerous taxes and fees. He emphasized that the cost of strengthening tourism programs and infrastructure should be shouldered by the national government, not by taxpayers through additional levies.
The senator also cited the ASEAN Tourism Agreement, signed by the Philippines on 04 November 2002, which mandates the removal of travel levies and taxes on nationals of ASEAN Member States under Article 2(3). Despite the country’s commitment to this regional accord, Tulfo noted that the travel tax remains in force nearly 14 years after the agreement was signed.
The proposed measure represents what Tulfo calls a “concrete step toward fairness,” aiming to make international travel more attainable for ordinary Filipinos. With the Philippine passport gaining wider access to countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival, he said it is high time that the government eliminates additional costs that discourage citizens from traveling abroad.
If enacted, the abolition of the travel tax would mark a significant policy shift in the country’s tourism framework, potentially benefiting millions of outbound travelers every year. It would also bring the Philippines in line with ASEAN partners that have long scrapped similar levies, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to regional integration and free movement within Southeast Asia.
Tulfo’s Senate Bill 1409 is currently pending at the Senate and will undergo committee hearings before it can be debated in plenary.