Quezon city: The majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives are backing a proposal to remove the travel tax imposed on Filipinos departing for abroad, as stated by Palawan 3rd District Rep. Gil Acosta Jr., vice chair of the House tourism committee, during a recent news forum in Quezon City.

According to Philippines News Agency, Acosta revealed that Congress is set to deliberate in the coming weeks on whether to pursue limited exemptions or a complete abolition of the travel tax. He noted that the reception among House members toward the bill is generally positive, with many colleagues supporting the initiative. The committee is currently evaluating whether the proposal should focus on exemptions or full abolition.

Acosta emphasized that the proposal is not designed to reduce funding for projects implemented by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), nor for allocations to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). He assured that once the proposal becomes law, funding for tourism and education or heritage-related programs will be sourced directly from the General Appropriations Act. Discussions with the Finance sector indicate that defunding concerns have been addressed, potentially resulting in more stable funding not reliant on the number of travelers.

Several legislative measures are under consideration in Congress, including House Bill 7443, filed by House majority leader Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, and House Bill 7367 by Cebu City Rep. Edu Rama, both advocating for the immediate abolition of the travel tax. The Department of Tourism has stated it will defer the decision to Congress but emphasized the importance of identifying alternative funding mechanisms to maintain tourism infrastructure programs.