PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved 21 bills as part of the priority measures of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac), including the proposal to abolish travel tax, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos met with the Ledac on Tuesday to discuss the priority bills that he wanted to be passed by June.
Castro said that among the approved priority measures were the Travel Tax Abolition, Expanded Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2026, Fake News and Digital Disinformation and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Elections.
She said priority proposals were designed to improve the quality of life for Filipinos, enhance social protection, and promote transparency and accountability in government.
“Overall, the president was pleased and satisfied with the priority bills that are expected to be passed before June this year,” Castro said during a press conference.
The other priority legislative measures include the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Law; Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability; Independent People’s Commission Act; and the Party-List System Reform Act.
The rest of the priority proposed laws are the Amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law/Banking Reform for Integrity, Good Governance, Honesty, and Transparency Act; Right to Information Act; Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act; Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act; Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para Sa Batang Pilipino Act; Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act; Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act; and the National Center for Geriatric Health.
Also included in the priority measures are the Waste-to-Energy Bill/Waste Treatment Technology Act; Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act-Energy Regulatory Commission Strengthening Bill; Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law/Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment Act; Department of Water Resources; and Estate Tax Amnesty.
In supporting the passage of the travel tax abolition bill, Castro said Marcos said Filipinos did not only travel for leisure, but also for work and for emergency cases.
She said 50 percent of the levy goes to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority’s (Tieza) infrastructure projects, 40 percent goes to educational assistance and scholarships, and 10 percent is used to promote culture and heritage.
“The abolition of the travel tax is a priority bill of the president to help boost the country’s tourism industry,” Castro said.
“The president believes that this will further ease the burden on our tourists and on our fellow Filipinos who travel. As for the details — such as how much revenue would be lost and how much additional funding would be allocated to Tieza — these have not yet been discussed, since the bill has yet to be drafted and is still only being treated as a priority measure,” she added.
On concerns that abolishing the travel tax could reduce funding for education and tourism promotions, Castro said the government would cover any funding gaps through the national budget, once the proposed bill is enacted.
Castro said economic managers discussed the measure’s potential benefits, particularly in easing travel costs, but noted that details on revenue impact would be tackled once the bill is drafted.
During the Ledac meeting, Marcos also sought updates on the proposed anti-political dynasty law, which he wanted enacted at the soonest possible time.
“According to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who was among those who attended the meeting this morning, the Senate has already begun conducting public consultations on the matter, starting in Pasig City. They are also scheduled to hold consultations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” Castro said.
Speaker Faustino Dy III said the House would likewise conduct nationwide consultations, she added.
Meanwhile, Castro assured the public that the measure on combating fake news and digital disinformation would not hinder freedom of speech.
“The president only said that this should be balanced, because it might encroach on freedom of expression, and that there must be a clear definition of what we mean by fake news and disinformation,” she said.
“The president will not allow any form of freedom of expression or freedom of speech of our fellow citizens to be trampled upon,” she added.
