Marcos backs travel tax abolition to ease burden on Filipino travelers

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed support for abolishing the travel tax, saying it would help lower costs for Filipinos traveling for work, emergencies, or leisure, Malacañang said.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the proposal is among the 21 priority bills discussed during the recent LEDAC meeting in Malacañan. She noted that the President sees the travel tax as an added burden on travelers.

Castro assured the public that funding for tourism, education, and cultural programs will not be affected, as allocations would be covered under the General Appropriations Act.

Currently, travel tax collections are distributed to Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Commission on Higher Education, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The proposal, backed by House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos through House Bill No. 7443, seeks to repeal the travel tax under existing laws, which currently charge up to P2,700 for first-class and P1,620 for economy passengers.IMT