MANILA — Senator Francis Pangilinan has filed a measure seeking to remove the travel tax imposed on Filipinos traveling abroad, calling it an “economic burden” that limits the right to travel, especially for those with limited financial means.

In his explanatory note for Senate Bill No. 1843, filed on February 11, 2026, Pangilinan argued that eliminating the tax could help boost economic activity.

“By lowering the cost of international travel, we expect to stimulate passenger volume, increase spending on transport, accommodation, food, and services, and generate positive spillovers across the economy,” the explanatory note of Senate Bill No. 1843, filed on 11 February 2026, said.

“Increased travel activity also strengthens people-to-people exchanges and supports the Philippines’ positioning as a competitive and accessible destination,” it added.

Pangilinan noted that the existing mandatory travel tax amounts to P2,700 for first-class passengers and P1,620 for economy class travelers. He said the added cost affects Filipinos’ right and ability to travel, which is guaranteed under Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Under the proposed bill, funding for programs currently supported by travel tax collections would instead be sourced from the national budget. These include allocations under the Department of Tourism for the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

The measure also provides that programs benefiting the Higher Education Development Fund and the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts would receive funding through the annual appropriations of the Commission on Higher Education and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, respectively.

If enacted, the bill would repeal the travel tax imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183, as amended, and Section 73 of Republic Act No. 9593, also known as the Tourism Act of 2009.