Senate bill eyes abolition of travel tax
'It is high time to give travelers a break and allow for tourism to flourish by removing one of the barriers to travel," said Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who authored Senate Bill No. 424.
The travel tax, imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183, was signed nearly five decades ago. Cayetano said that this no longer aligns with current economic and regional goals.
'All Filipinos, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities, must be able to travel freely, without any form of hindrance... By abolishing the travel tax, we inch closer towards realizing the freedom of movement that our fundamental law envisions for every citizen,' said Cayetano.
Cayetano cited studies explaining that while the government may lose P4 billion in revenue as a result of the measure, the country's economy would earn around P299 billion through increased tourism and spending.
He is also proposing exempting ASEAN nationals from the travel tax, fulfilling the Philippines' commitment under the ASEAN Tourism Agreement of 2002, which calls for the phasing out of travel levies among member states. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
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