Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo has renewed his call for the swift passage of a legislative measure seeking to abolish the travel tax, citing the need to lessen financial pressures on Filipino families preparing for holiday travel.
With the end-of-year travel season approaching, Quimbo urged lawmakers to prioritize the bill to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for citizens traveling abroad to visit relatives or take vacations.
“Palapit na ang holiday rush at marami na sa ating mga kababayan ang nagpaplano ng kanilang biyahe. Kaya nananawagan tayo na mapabilis ang pagpasa ng panukalang naglalayong tanggalin ang travel tax upang mabawasan ang gastusin ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” Quimbo said.
Under the current travel tax structure, passengers flying out on full economy-class fares pay P1,620 each. Quimbo pointed out that for a family of four, eliminating the tax would result in direct savings of P6,480.
“Para sa isang pamilyang ilang buwan nang nag-iipon para makabisita sa kanilang mga kamag-anak o makapagbakasyon, mahalaga ang bawat pisong matitipid. Ang P1,620 na travel tax bawat pasahero ay malaking halaga na maaari nilang ilaan sa iba pang pangangailangan habang nasa biyahe,” he noted.
The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 8464, or the proposed Travel Tax Abolition Act of 2026, on third and final reading on March 16 before transmitting the measure to the Senate the following day. Quimbo, who previously chaired the House Committee on Ways and Means, is listed among the bill’s principal authors.
The legislative proposal is also included among the priority measures outlined by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) under its common legislative agenda.
While advocating for immediate relief for outbound passengers, Quimbo acknowledged that lawmakers must also address alternative funding sources for tourism development, education, and cultural preservation programs currently supported by travel tax revenues.
“Ang layunin natin ay mabawasan ang gastusin ng mga ordinaryong Pilipino, lalo na ngayong papalapit ang Pasko at bagong taon. Umaasa tayo na mabibigyan ito ng agarang aksyon upang mas maraming pamilya ang makinabang sa pagtanggal ng travel tax,” Quimbo added.