Senator JV Ejercito on the Public Order Committee hearing on Jan. 21, 2026 – Photo courtesy of JV Ejercito/Facebook.
Senator JV Ejercito on Monday sought a Senate inquiry into high domestic airfares and gaps in tourism infrastructure as a public hearing on the issue was held on Tuesday, February 3.
In a resolution, Ejercito asked the Senate Committee on Tourism, which he chairs, to scrutinize the implementation of the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) and assess whether existing infrastructure supports affordable and accessible domestic travel.
He said complaints over expensive local flights highlight deeper weaknesses in airports, seaports, road networks, and other tourism-related facilities across the country.
“Kapag mas mura pa ang pamasahe papuntang Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, o Hong Kong kaysa sa sarili nating mga probinsya, malinaw na may mali sa sistema,” Ejercito said.
The senator noted that despite increases in visitor arrivals and domestic tourism spending, the Philippines continues to miss international tourism targets due to persistent infrastructure gaps.
Under Senate Resolution No. 257, the inquiry aimed to identify policy and infrastructure shortcomings that raise travel costs and limit the growth of communities reliant on tourism.
The Senate Committee on Tourism, together with the committees on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, and Finance, conducted a joint public hearing on the resolution on February 3.