PRESS RELEASE
WDC-35-2023
03 JULY 2023
Embassy Press and Information Section
WASHINGTON D.C. – The Philippines has maintained its Tier 1 Ranking in the fight against human trafficking. In the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) officially released on 15 June 2023 by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the Philippines was one among the 30 countries given the highest rating for fully meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons under the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This is the eighth year in a row that the country has achieved Tier 1 placement since 2016.
During the TIP Report Launch, Ambassador-at-Large Cindy Dyer who leads the US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, cited the Philippines and Indonesia for working together “to assist trafficking victims lured by cybercrime syndicates into cyberscam operations.” The two countries were mentioned for exemplifying strong partnership between countries in addressing the vulnerability of migrants, refugees, and international jobseekers to human traffickers.
“The Tier 1 ranking obtained by the Philippines is indicative of our intensified efforts to combat human trafficking. We thank the US State Department for recognizing our campaign against human traffickers. Our country’s retention at Tier 1 inspires us to further strengthen our resolve and action in protecting Filipinos from falling prey to traffickers and illegal recruiters, including working with domestic and international partners such as the United States in addressing this global concern,” said Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez.
Among the ASEAN member states, only the Philippines and Singapore made it to the Tier 1 list. A total of 188 countries were evaluated for government efforts to fight trafficking undertaken during the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.###