Cebu City South District Representative Eduardo (Edu) Rama, Jr. has filed a resolution that seeks to abolish travel tax for all travelers leaving the Philippines.

House Bill No. 7367, which Rama authored principally, aims to "uphold the constitutional right to freedom of movement by removing unnecessary financial burden that hinders Filipinos from traveling abroad for personal, professional, or education reasons."

One of the key objectives of the resolution is to fulfill the 2002 ASEAN Tourism Agreement which committed member-states to phasing out travel levies on nationals of ASEAN member-states.

The bill intends to eliminate the following travel tax rates: P2,700 full travel tax for first-class accommodation and P1,620 for economy; P1,350 for standard reduced rate for first-class accommodation and P810 for economy; and P400 for privileged (overseas Filipino workers) on first-class accommodation and P300 for economy.

The bill proposes that agencies with programs funded by the travel tax collection, specifically Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) shall shift and charge to the respective fund sources under General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Travel tax collection will be prohibited for flights booked after the Act takes effect. 

No refunds will be provided for travel taxes paid prior to the Act’s effectivity, and that the Act becomes effective 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

"Ang atong baruganan tataw: ang mga palisiya sa pagbiyahe kinahanglan makatao, makiangayon, ug angay sa karon nga kahimtangan sa katawhan. Padayon ta sa pag-umol og mga balaod nga tumong ang kaayuhan sa matag Pilipino hilabi na sa mga Sugbuanon," Rama said in a Facebook post. 

(Info courtesy: Rep. Edu Rama/FB)