A newly filed House Bill proposes exempting Filipino students, senior citizens, and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from paying travel tax.
House Bill 6979, filed by 1Tahanan Partylist Representative Nathan Oducado, aims to make the travel tax “progressive and fair” by removing the fee for select Filipino travelers.
“For many of them, the travel tax represents a substantial additional cost that restricts mobility, limits family reunification, and hampers access to overseas opportunities… These realities highlight the need to review and update the current travel tax framework,” Oducado said in the bill’s explanatory note.
He added that the measure seeks a system “more equitable, sensitive to socioeconomic disparities, and aligned with the principle of progressive taxation. Doing so eases the burden on those least able to afford it while maintaining necessary revenue for national development programs.”
Currently, Filipino travelers are required to pay P2,700 for first-class and P1,620 for economy-class tickets before their flight.
In November 2025, Senator Erwin Tulfo also filed a bill calling for the full removal of the travel tax, arguing that it restricts the public’s right to travel.
“If we really want to improve the country’s tourism sector and be at par with our neighboring Southeast Asian countries, we have to remove these barriers that disempower Filipinos to travel,” Tulfo said.
