Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri has joined the move to abolish the travel tax and lift what he described as an unnecessary financial burden on millions of Filipinos flying abroad.

Zubiri filed Senate Bill No. 1793 titled “Travel Tax Abolition Act of 2026,” which was referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means as the primary committee, with the Committees on Finance and on Tourism as secondary committees.

“It is time to abolish the travel tax. It was created in 1977, in a very different economic era, when foreign travel was seen as a luxury and the government’s priority was to limit the outflow of dollars from the country,” Zubiri expressed.

“Today, travel is no longer just for leisure. Marami sa ating kababayan ang bumibyahe for work-related events, para mag-aral, para magpagamot o para makasama ang pamilya (Many of our countrymen travel for work-related events, to study, to seek medical treatment, or to be with their families). So imposing a flat travel tax on every departing Filipino no longer reflects the realities of modern life,” he explained.

Under existing rules, Filipinos departing the country pay as much as P2,700 for first class passage and P1,620 for economy class, a fee that can reach P6,480 for a family of four traveling abroad.

“Isipin mo, kung ang pamilya mo ay gusto lamang magbakasyon o bumisita sa kamag-anak sa abroad, bukod pa sa airfare, hotel at iba pang gastos, may travel tax pa na libo-libo. Every peso counts sa ating mga kababayan kaya malaking bagay po ito para sa mga ordinaryong Pilipino (Just imagine, if your family simply wants to go on vacation or visit relatives abroad, on top of airfare, hotel, and other expenses, there is still a travel tax amounting to thousands of pesos. Every peso counts for our fellow Filipinos, so this is a big deal for ordinary people),” Zubiri pointed out.

Originally imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183 in 1977 and later referenced in the Tourism Act of 2009, the travel tax currently funds programs of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, the Commission on Higher Education and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Zubiri said the proposed measure does not simply remove the levy without safeguards, as it provides that the national government shall allocate alternative funding through the annual General Appropriations Act to ensure the continuity of programs previously supported by travel tax collections.

The bill also prohibits any government agency or private entity from collecting travel taxes once the law takes effect and requires the immediate refund of any previously paid travel taxes for flights scheduled on or after the effectivity date.

For many Filipinos, especially families visiting loved ones abroad, students studying abroad and entrepreneurs expanding their businesses, the abolition of the travel tax would mean one less financial hurdle at the airports.

Citing the 1987 Constitution’s guarantee of the right to travel and the country’s commitments under regional agreements such as the ASEAN Tourism Agreement, Zubiri argued that aligning policy with contemporary economic goals would ultimately boost tourism, invigorate economic activity and make travel more accessible to Filipinos.

“Kung gusto nating maging globally competitive at mas bukas sa mundo (If we want to be globally competitive and more open to the world), we must also be fair to our own people. Abolishing the travel tax is a practical step that says we trust Filipinos to travel, explore and seize opportunities without unnecessary financial penalties,” he added.