House Panel Approves Bill to Remove Travel Tax for Filipinos

We all know the feeling of standing in the airport line, coffee in one hand and passport in the other, only to remember that extra ₱1,620 you have to pay just to leave the country. For a family of four, that is over ₱6,000 gone before you even board the plane. That burden might soon be a thing of the past.

House of Representatives Committee on Tourism officially approved a bill on Monday, February 23, that aims to abolish the travel tax for Filipino travelers. Lawmakers in this lower chamber of Congress are pushing the move to help ordinary passengers save money and make our travel industry more competitive with our neighbors in Southeast Asia.

How much can you save with the Travel Tax Abolition Act of 2026?

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Right now, the law requires almost everyone flying out of the Philippines to pay a set fee. If this bill passes both the House and the Senate to become law, the following charges would be scrapped:

• ₱1,620 for economy class passengers.

• ₱2,700 for those flying first class.

The goal is to stop treating international travel as a luxury for the rich. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already asked the House of Representatives to make this a priority, noting that many Filipinos fly abroad for work or family emergencies, not just for holidays.

Also read: No More Travel Tax? New Senate Bills Push to Scrap ₱1,620 Fee for Economy Passengers

Why the House of Representatives is leading the travel tax reform

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Under the Philippine Constitution, any bill that deals with taxes or revenue must start in the House of Representatives. This is why the "House panel" (the Committee on Tourism) is the first to give the green light. Once the full House of Representatives approves the bill on its third reading, it will then be sent to the Senate for another round of reviews.

Currently, your travel tax is split between tourism infrastructure (50%), higher education (40%), and culture and arts (10%). While the Department of Tourism has raised concerns about losing this money, the new bill proposes a different solution.

Instead of taking it from your pocket at the airport, the government plans to fund these agencies through the national budget (General Appropriations Act). This ensures that programs for tourism and scholarships continue without making airfare more expensive for the average Pinoy.

Also read: What the Philippine Travel Tax Is and Why It Raises Eyebrows

What are the next steps for the travel tax bill?

^{Image credit: Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA)}

This approval from the House panel is a major step, but the bill still has several hurdles to clear:

1. House Plenary. The bill needs to be voted on by all members of the House of Representatives.

2. The Senate. A counterpart bill must be passed by the Senators.

3. Presidential Signature. President Marcos hopes to sign the final law before the June 2026 adjournment.

For now, travelers still need to pay the usual fees at the airport or online. We are monitoring the situation closely as it moves to the next stage of the legislative process.

More details to follow as the story develops.