MANILA — The House Committee on Tourism approved a measure seeking to abolish the travel tax, after consolidating 18 related bills, subject to the establishment of a clear and sustainable alternative funding source for programs currently supported by the levy.

The panel, chaired by Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, merged House Bills 7367, 7443, 7612, 7703, 7757, 150, 3529, 3890, 4793, 7155, 7631, 5821, 6228, 6979, 7307, 7695, 7758, and 7845, as well as the privilege speech of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

The proposal, which aims to remove the P1,620 to P2,700 travel tax charged to departing passengers, was included in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council’s priority measures as of February 10, 2026. Lawmakers are targeting its passage by June 2026.

Cebu City Rep. Eduardo Rama, principal author of House Bill 7367, underscored that the travel tax adds to the expenses of Filipino travelers and runs counter to the government’s thrust of making travel more accessible.

Despite supporting the measure, lawmakers stressed the need to secure continued funding for programs that rely on travel tax proceeds, including initiatives on tourism promotion, cultural development, and scholarships.

Under Republic Act 9593, or the “Tourism Act of 2009,” travel tax revenues are distributed to agencies such as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing assured that funding concerns would be addressed as the bill advances through the legislative process.

“Mag-uusap po kami, of course ng mga authors ng measures and the three chairpersons, Chair Madrona, Chair Quimbo (Ways and Means) and myself kasi tatlong committees po ang dadaanan nito. Rest assured po, given the criticality of the funds, we will work together to ensure that those funds will remain available for the departments of the different government institutions involved.”

TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid told the panel that travel tax collections reached P8.7 billion in 2025. He said the funds were utilized for tourism infrastructure projects, cultural initiatives, upgrades of public tourist facilities, and the development of cultural heritage and ecotourism sites.

A portion of the collections also supports efforts to encourage private sector investments in tourism enterprise zones under TIEZA. Meanwhile, CHED and the NCCA use their respective shares in accordance with their mandates.

CHED Commissioner Dr. Shirley Agrupis raised concerns over the possible repeal of the travel tax without a replacement funding mechanism, warning that it would substantially cut the Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF). She noted that 40% of travel tax collections make up 85.6% of the HEDF’s total resources.

Agrupis said the HEDF finances scholarships, research projects, institutional development, and tourism-related education programs, benefiting 5.4 million students across 1,906 higher education institutions, including 1.6 million scholars.

For her part, NCCA Deputy Executive Director Marichu Tellano called for safeguards to ensure uninterrupted support for cultural programs. She emphasized the need for a replacement appropriation for the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA), at an amount not lower than the average share derived from the travel tax, to sustain NCCA initiatives.