House Majority Backs Proposal to Scrap Travel Tax for Filipinos
In a significant development for Filipino travelers, Palawan 3rd District Representative Gil Acosta Jr., vice chair of the House tourism committee, announced that the majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives are in favor of removing the travel tax imposed on Filipinos departing for abroad. Acosta made this statement during the Saturday News Forum held in Quezon City on February 7, 2026.
Positive Reception and Legislative Discussions
Speaking at the forum, Acosta emphasized that Congress is poised to deliberate in the coming weeks on whether to advocate for limited exemptions or the complete abolition of the travel tax. He noted, "At the House, the reception is quite positive. I think majority of our colleagues in the House would support the bill. We are just looking at whether it should be limited to exemption or total abolition." This indicates a strong legislative push to ease financial burdens on overseas-bound Filipinos.
Funding Assurance for Tourism and Education Programs
Acosta clarified that the proposal does not aim to defund critical projects managed by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), nor affect allocations for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). He explained that once a law is enacted, funding for impacted tourism, education, and heritage-related initiatives would be directly earmarked from the General Appropriations Act.
He further pointed out, "There had been discussions already that there won't be any defunding. It's still there. In fact, it becomes better because they no longer have to be dependent on the number of travelers leaving for abroad." This ensures sustained support for these programs without reliance on travel tax revenues.
Pending Legislative Measures and Departmental Stance
Several proposed bills are currently pending before Congress, including:
- House Bill 7443 filed by House majority leader Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos.
- House Bill 7367 by Cebu City Representative Edu Rama.
Both measures seek the immediate abolition of the travel tax, highlighting bipartisan efforts to address this issue. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism has stated that it leaves the decision to scrap the tax to Congress but underscores the necessity of identifying alternative funding sources to maintain tourism infrastructure programs across the country.
This move could potentially benefit millions of Filipinos traveling internationally by reducing out-of-pocket expenses and streamlining financial planning for overseas trips.
