Travel tax scrapping urged

Senator Raffy Tulfo is pushing for the removal of a travel tax from Filipino passengers traveling abroad under economy class flights.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, said imposing a travel tax on outbound Philippine passport holders could be a violation of their constitutional right to travel.

He then cited Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which recognizes the Filipino people’s right to travel, saying this “shall not be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.”

Tulfo has called for the repeal of Presidential Decree 1183, issued in 1977, which imposes a travel tax of P1,250 on economy class passengers.

Under PD 1183, overseas Filipino workers, infants, government officials and corporations on official travel are exempt from this tax.

“Imposing additional costs on economy class passengers, who are traveling on a budget with funds they have saved for a long time, is a violation of their constitutional right to travel,” Tulfo argued.

The senator announced plans to file a Senate bill aimed at eliminating the travel tax for economy class passengers traveling to any country worldwide.