Go leaves travel tax decision to Congress

The decision to abolish the controversial travel tax is better left to the House of Representatives, according to Finance Secretary Frederick Go.

Speaking in a recent interview, Go said the matter should be decided by Congress.

“We leave it to the wisdom of Congress,” Go said, noting that revenues from the travel tax are not remitted to the national government.

“There’s none that goes to the national government. The total, I believe, the total travel tax revenue is P8 billion a year. So that’s your estimate,” he said.

Administered by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the fee was imposed in 1977 under the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. It aims to fund tourism infrastructure and promotion, cultural programs, and higher education development by imposing fees ranging from P1,620 to P2,700 on Filipinos departing the country for international travel.

“Fifty percent goes to TIEZA, 40 percent goes to CHED, [and] 10 percent goes to the arts,” Go added.

The Philippines remains the only country in the world that imposes a tax on its citizens for leaving the country. In 2025, Senator Erwin Tulfo filed Senate Bill No. 1409, which seeks to abolish the Philippine travel tax entirely.

He argued the tax makes travel more expensive for Filipinos and runs contrary to regional agreements encouraging easier travel within Southeast Asia.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier this month made the abolition of the travel tax an administrative priority, echoing the points raised by Tulfo and other Filipinos.

“The President saw that this would make travel more affordable for tourists and for Filipinos who need to travel,” said Presidential Spokesperson Claire Castro.

However, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco noted that the sudden abolition of the travel tax without a substitute fund could adversely affect the tourism sector. She said that 50 percent of travel tax collections support tourism infrastructure such as tourist rest areas, visitor centers, and jetty ports through TIEZA.

House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos III, the President’s son, recently proposed abolishing the travel tax for Filipinos traveling abroad for leisure, saying the levy has already outlived its purpose.

“The travel tax was created in a very different economic context. Today, it has become an added cost that restricts mobility and weighs heavily on ordinary Filipinos who simply want to travel for work, family, or opportunity,” he said.

House Bill 7443 aims to repeal Presidential Decree No. 1183 and related provisions of the Tourism Act of 2009 that impose the travel tax.

Former Albay Representative Joey Salceda also expressed support for Marcos III’s proposal, noting that abolishing the travel tax would mean the government forgoes around P11 billion in annual revenue, but scrapping it could generate P46 billion in economic output.

“I think it should be passed because it will help. Every positive measure should be considered,” Salceda he said.