HOUSE Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos announced that his proposal to abolish the travel tax has gained the backing of the Department of Finance (DoF) and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, paving the way for a bicameral push to prioritize the measure.
Marcos said Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go has expressed full support for the bill and assured that the department will find alternative funding sources for higher education, which currently receives funds from the travel tax. He also secured a Senate counterpart in Zubiri, who will file a similar bill.
Both chambers will move to elevate the measure to the administration’s priority list at the upcoming LEDAC meeting. Marcos argues that the levy is outdated, hinders mobility and tourism, and that scrapping it would yield broader economic gains. While respecting Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco’s position, Marcos raised concerns over the absorptive capacity of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which utilizes travel tax funds.
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