Lawmaker pushes to make travel tax “progressive” and “fair”
QUEZON CITY – 1Tahanan Partylist Representative Nathan Oducado urged fellow lawmakers to support his Bill exempting students, senior citizens, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from paying the travel tax imposed on flight passengers.
“Currently set at ₱2,700 for first-class passengers and ₱1,620 for economy-class passengers, the tax affects millions of outbound travellers annually,” said Cong. Oducado. “But this tax disproportionately affects more vulnerable and lower-income sectors of society.”
HB 6979 also extends the tax exemption to single parents, indigenous peoples and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), expanding the travel tax exemptions by EO 283 issued in 1987.
“For members of these sectors, the travel tax represents a substantial additional cost that restricts mobility, limits family reunification, and hampers access to overseas opportunities,” Cong. Oducado stressed. “By expanding exemptions to vulnerable sectors, this bill seeks to ensure that the travel tax system is more equitable, sensitive to socioeconomic disparities, and aligned with the principle of progressive taxation.”
Oducado, along with other lawmakers, had previously pushed for House Resolution No. 596, which aims to investigate flight delays, cancellations, and diversions, which had increased during the holidays.
“These initiatives are consistent with our continuing commitment to ease the burden of travel for those least able to afford it,” Oducado concluded.
