A MEASURE was filed at the House of Representatives that seeks to exempt students, senior citizens, and overseas Filipino workers from paying travel tax. In a statement on Thursday, 1Tahanan Partylist Rep. Nathaniel Oducado said that House Bill 6979 will ensure that the travel tax system will be "more equitable, sensitive to socioeconomic disparities, and aligned with the principles of progressive taxation." Under the bill, single parents, Indigenous peoples and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) would also be exempted from paying travel tax. “Currently set at P2,700 for first-class passengers and P1,620 for economy-class passengers, the tax affects millions of outbound travelers annually. But this tax disproportionately affects more vulnerable and lower-income sectors of society,” Oducado said. He added that the travel tax represents a "substantial additional cost that restricts mobility, limits family reunification, and hampers access to overseas opportunities" for members of these sectors.