PH SHOWS IMPROVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL PRESS FREEDOM RANKING

The Philippines has slightly improved its standing in global press freedom rankings, moving up to 114th place in 2026 from 116th last year, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Despite the modest gain, RSF emphasized that the country remains in the lower half of 180 nations assessed and continues to be considered a high-risk environment for journalists.

The Philippines posted a lower overall score of 46.97 this year, down from 49.57 in 2025, reflecting ongoing challenges in the state of press freedom.

In its report, RSF cited persistent issues such as red-tagging, terrorism-related charges, and continued harassment of independent media groups. Several journalists also remain detained on what the organization describes as questionable or fabricated cases.

The report further highlighted a deteriorating media landscape, pointing to increasing political influence over media ownership, the spread of disinformation online, and weak legal safeguards for journalists. It also noted that defamation laws are still being used to file cases against members of the press.

Globally, RSF said press freedom has fallen to its lowest level since 2001, with more than half of countries classified as having “difficult” or “very serious” conditions for journalism.

While the Philippines recorded a slight improvement in ranking, RSF stressed that deep structural concerns continue to pose serious threats to press freedom in the country.