The House Committee on Ways and Means has approved key provisions of a proposed measure seeking to abolish the country’s travel tax, moving the bill closer to plenary deliberations.
Committee chair Miro Quimbo, representative of Marikina City’s 2nd District, underscored the importance of maintaining fairness in the tax system.
“Our tax system must remain progressive. Hindi maaaring payagan na maging regressive ang ating sistema ng pagbubuwis.”
Quimbo emphasized that government revenues should not impose excessive burdens on ordinary Filipinos striving to improve their economic conditions.
Lawmakers noted that scrapping the travel tax could reduce government revenues by nearly ₱8 billion annually.
However, Quimbo said the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has requested that the proposal be implemented as early as next year.
Romblon representative Eleandro Madrona, chair of the House Committee on Tourism, highlighted the need to secure continued funding for agencies currently dependent on travel tax collections, including TIEZA, the Commission on Higher Education, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
“Yun bang hindi na sila kailangang maki-usap pa,” Madrona said, stressing that the Department of Budget and Management should guarantee alternative funding.
During the hearing, Manila representative Ernix Dionisio moved to approve several sections of the unnumbered substitute bill, subject to style, consolidating multiple House proposals.
House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos also expressed support, noting that the abolition of the travel tax is part of the priority agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
The measure will next be referred to the House Committee on Appropriations for discussions on its fiscal impact before proceeding to plenary debates and a possible bicameral conference with the Senate.