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MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco reported on Saturday that the Philippines has been hailed by the United States government for its efforts against trafficking, maintaining its “Tier 1” ranking for the eighth year in a row.
“This citation is a result of the joint effort of all members of the IACAT, which has been very active in combating trafficking in all fronts,” Tansingco said.
“Despite the challenges, we will remain vigilant against new forms of trafficking targeting vulnerable Filipinos,” added the immigrations chief.
This follows the release of The US State Department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, which aims to provide a “comprehensive overview of the state of human trafficking around the world.”
“The report acknowledges the Philippine government’s serious and sustained efforts in combating human trafficking, amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the BI in a statement.
A Tier 1 ranking in the trafficking report is given to countries “whose governments fully meet the TVPA’s (US Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000) minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.”
Joining the Philippines on Tier 1 are Australia, Canada, France, Singapore, United Kingdom, and the USA.
Among the considered criteria are the enactment of anti-trafficking laws, proactive victim identification measures, provision of healthcare and aid to victims, and victim protection efforts.
The US State Department clarified in its report, however, that tier rankings do not consider efforts undertaken exclusively by non-governmental actors.