Department of Foreign Affairs (File photo) MANILA - The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), on Saturday, welcomed Manila's retention of its Tier 1 ranking in the recent State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. Tier 1 is the highest rating in TIP's four-tier classification, indicating that the Philippine government "continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts" against trafficking. "The Philippines reaffirms its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, and its Tier 1 ranking acknowledges its relentless and comprehensive efforts to prevent trafficking in persons, protect victims, and prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous crime," the DFA said in a statement. "The 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report is an acknowledgment of the whole-of-government approach by the DFA and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in their pursuit to proactively prevent trafficking in persons.