TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid during the launch of the OTTSS at Conrad Hotel. (PNA photo by Joyce Rocamora) MANILA - The Philippine government has collected PHP2.3 billion in travel tax in 2022, raising optimism this year for the tourism industry severely battered by the pandemic. Data from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) showed that last year's PHP2.38 billion travel tax collected surpassed the combined figures from 2020 and 2021. Affected by a series of lockdowns and grounded flights, TIEZA was only able to collect PHP1.23 billion in 2020 and PHP359 million in 2021. "We're hoping to be back on our pre-pandemic collection which is about PHP7 billion," TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid said in an interview Tuesday. "With the easement of all the restrictions that we have for outbound, together with other countries relaxing their restrictions and opening their borders, we're expecting a higher income," he added. 'Online payment system' As travel gradually returns, TIEZA launched on Tuesday its online travel tax payment platform to make outbound travel faster and seamless. TIEZA said the Online Travel Tax Services System (OTTSS) provides travelers with more than 90,000 options to pay for their travel tax nationwide, including through major e-wallets and online bank transfers. Travelers just need to visit TIEZA's website https://tieza.gov.ph and click 'travel tax' on the navigation menu. TIEZA said the payment could likewise be made through its partner MYEG's website at www.myeg.ph. Lapid said OTTSS would help decongest airport terminals and lessen the transactions and counters that travelers need to deal with before boarding their flight. "Now that the Philippines and other countries have more relaxed Covid-19 restrictions, we expect a spike in our number of outbound travels, especially countries such as South Korea," he said. New tourism projects In the same event, TIEZA registered two new tourism investment projects -- the Uma Residences in Naga City and Hotel Elizabeth Resorts and Villas in San Vicente, Palawan. It also signed the expansion project by Club Paradise Resort in Coron called the Oceanview Suites 3. The Uma Residences, with an estimated total project cost of PHP582.2 million, will start commercial operations in April 2023 and is expected to generate a total of 145 jobs. The PHP570 million Hotel Elizabeth Resorts and Villas, meanwhile, opens up about 100 employment opportunities. TIEZA, formerly known as the Philippine Tourism Authority, is the Department of Tourism's implementing arm. It facilitates investments in tourism enterprise zones (TEZ) nationwide and relies on its 50 percent share from the gross collection of travel tax as its primary source of funding. (PNA) }