Philippines retains Tier 1 status in human trafficking report

The development was announced at a briefing by Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Peace and Order Nestor Sanares, who also leads the country’s Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC).

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has maintained its Tier 1 ranking for the 11th consecutive year in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, highlighting sustained government efforts to prevent human exploitation, prosecute traffickers and protect victims.

The development was announced at a briefing by Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Peace and Order Nestor Sanares, who also leads the country’s Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC).

Sanares pointed out that the Tier 1 status, the highest rating given by the US State Department, indicates that the Philippines fully meets the minimum international standards for the elimination of human trafficking through inter-agency coordination.

“This milestone underscores the continuing commitment of the Philippine government, through the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and its member agencies, to strengthen prevention, victim protection, prosecution and partnership,” Sanares said.

The DILG official noted that the 2026 TIP Report credited key institutional interventions, including the mandatory nationwide rollout of a specialized Victim Identification System, an enhanced National Referral Mechanism, expanded IACAT prosecutorial task forces and the launch of the IACAT ProtectPortal.

Sanares made the announcement as the Philippines leads preparatory SOMTC sessions with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and dialogue partners China, Japan and South  Korea ahead of the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime.