Seated at the panel during the trade launch are (from left) DBP Data Center Inc Senior Business Development Manager Arnel Celis; TIEZA COO Pocholo Paragas; DBP President & Chief Operating Officer Cecilia Borromeo during the launch
By Buddy Recio
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), and the DBP Data Center Inc (DCI) formally launched the Online Travel Tax Payment Sysem (OTTPS) last April 16,2018 at TIEZA’s new central office in Pasay City.
The launch aimed to introduce the new and improved OTTPS to the media and the traveling public. The OTTPS was developed to provide a more convenient way of paying the travel tax.
The travel tax may now be paid through Visa credit and debit cards (Mastercard and Bancnet credit and debit cards will soon be available); over-the counter (OTC) payment channels such as San Mig food avenue, Petron Corporation with selected Petron stations, Total Philippines Corporation, H Lhuillier and Tambunting pawnshops, Shopwise and Wellcome supermarkets; and Seven-Eleven stores with Touchpay kiosks.
“We want to have a hassle-free payment scheme, one that will allow passengers the option to pay their travel taxes online instead of lining up at the airports and travel tax centers,” said TIEZA COO Pocholo Paragas who demonstrated onsite how to create an account online. DBP Vice-President, for his part, showed how to pay through the Touchpay kiosk that will be placed in strategic locations.
“DCI produced the platform to enable the Filipino paying public to be able to pay their taxes anywhere, anytime to answer President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for government agencies for action to streamline government agencies frontline services to the people via Information Technology,” Celis stated.
Paragas, however, revealed that there are still some kinks to iron out especially with the travel trade sector that voiced out some concerns with regards to cancelled or rescheduled flights wherein Paragas replied that any DBP branch can handle refunds while exemptions and discounts will be addressed when the source codes would be in place. Furthermore, B2B transactions will be available soon.
Just the same, travel tax counters in the airports and the TIEZA offices will remain accessible to those who will find it difficult to access Internet connection, or first time travelers.
Passengers may now access the OTTPS at https://traveltax.tieza.gov.ph to process full travel tax payments.