BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Baguio Rep. Marques Go has filed a bill expanding the travel tax exemption to include students and the country’s representatives to beauty pageants, sports tournaments and academic conferences.
“Filipino athletes, students and beauty pageant representatives bring pride to our country. Exemption from paying the travel tax is a small way of showing support to those who seek to bring home awards and recognition for the Philippines,” Go said in House Bill 3557.
The neophyte congressman also asserted expanding the list of exemptions from the payment of the travel tax will not adversely affect the country’s travel tax collections which reached P3.852 billion in 2014.
“As such, we have a big collection of travel tax for the past few years and these are divided between the TIEZA, National Parks Development Committee, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and CHED. We can afford to expand the list of those exempted from paying travel tax, as long as they have certified documents to confirm their official participation in events abroad,” he added.
The Philippines currently levies a travel tax of P2,700 for first class passengers, P1,620 for economy class passengers and reduced or privilege amounts depending on the classification. The current list of travel tax exemption includes 18 different classifications.
HB 3557 seeks to add to the list four additional classifications for exemption.
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“These amounts may be small for some but it is already a burden for those travelling with a limited budget. That is why we often see them soliciting financial assistance so they could join these international activities,” he said.
