THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday, October 15, 2026, welcomed the Philippines' Tier 1 ranking for the 11th consecutive year in the US State Department's 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.
In a media conference, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the department welcomed the recognition from the US State Department as a manifestation of the Philippine government's efforts against human trafficking.
"We are delighted by this retention of our Tier 1 status. We welcome this with pride and humility," said Cacdac.
The US State Department's 2026 TIP Report affirmed the Philippines' Tier 1 ranking for the 11th consecutive year.
Tier 1 status is awarded to countries whose governments fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking.
The DMW chief said the department intends to continue intensifying its efforts against illegal recruiters and human traffickers.
"We consider this recognition a challenge to intensify further our efforts against illegal recruiters and human traffickers, who exploit the vulnerabilities of our fellow Filipinos," said Cacdac.
"The Tier 1 standing reflects meaningful collective resolve but does not signal that the work is complete," he added.
The official said the department would look into the critical areas identified in the report, including reversing the decline in trafficking convictions, building digital forensics capacity to combat online syndicates, screening foreign victims in scam compounds, and bolstering protections for Filipino seafarers and commercial fishers vulnerable to labor trafficking.
"The DMW will translate these findings into intensified monitoring of deceptive online recruitment, strengthened evidence gathering for criminal prosecutions, and strict adherence to the non-punishment principle for victims," Cacdac said. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)