DOLE calls on CAB to refund to OFWs P1B worth of terminal fees, travel tax

The Department of Labor and Employment called on the Civil Aviation Board to refund to overseas Filipino workers at least P500 million worth of terminal fees and another P500 million worth of travel tax it has collected.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III noted that they already sent a letter to CAB asking for the refund of the terminal fee and the travel tax which the OFWs are exempted from paying since 2015.

“We already sent a letter to CAB to request for the turnover of the collected terminal fees to OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration). As for the [travel] tax exemption, airlines are still collecting it from OFWs even if the latter have been long exempted from paying it. Now, OFWs are supposed to get a refund [from their paid travel taxes], but oftentimes, they are excited to reach their destination so they skip getting their due refund,” Bello said in a press conference on Monday.

“Hindi sumusunod sa patakaran. Kaya we are reiterating our call to CAB to stop its collection [of terminal fee and travel tax] because that money belongs to the OFWs. 'Pag binibili nila (OFWs) ang tickets nila, kasama na ang travel tax sa airlines. Lahat ng airlines  nangongolekta. So we have to reiterate and demand na 'wag na nilang kolektahin [ang travel tax] sa pagbenta nila ng ticket,” Bello added.

Bello stressed that the P500 million worth of travel tax yet to be remitted to OWWA will greatly boost OWWA's funding which would enable the agency to be more efficient in fulfilling its mandate.

As for the terminal fees already paid by the OFWs, Bello said OFWs can also avail of the refund by going to the OWWA office and presenting their Overseas Employment Certificate. —KG, GMA News