Philippines leapfrogs to 132nd place in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index

The Philippines climbed fifteen notches to 132nd out of 180 countries and territories in the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2023 World Press Freedom Index. It was the highest placement of the country in six years since it ranked 127th in 2017. With an overall score of 46.21 out of possible 100 and tagged as a “difficult” country for journalists, the Philippines was the ninth lowest in the region, ahead of Hong Kong, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, and North Korea.