Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 424, seeking to abolish the travel tax to make travel more accessible for Filipinos, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
“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,” said Cayetano.
The travel tax, imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183 nearly 50 years ago, is outdated and no longer reflects the country’s economic goals, he argued. SBN 424 also proposes exempting ASEAN nationals from the tax, in line with the 2002 ASEAN Tourism Agreement, which calls for phasing out such levies among member states.
Cayetano cited a local airline study estimating that while government revenue may dip by P4 billion, the economy could gain up to P299 billion through increased tourism and spending.
He pointed to a precedent: Memorandum Order No. 29 (2023), which exempts travelers departing Mindanao and Palawan for BIMP-EAGA destinations from the travel tax until 2028.
Reviving a proposal from former Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, Cayetano said it’s time to remove barriers that hinder travel and growth.
“It is high time to give travelers a break and allow for tourism to flourish by removing one of the barriers to travel,” he said.IMT
