2018 Corruption Index: Philippines takes 99th spot

The Philippines has improved its ranking in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) conducted by Transparency International, a global anti-corruption watchdog.

The country’s ranking jumped from the 111th spot to the 99th out of 180 countries after obtaining a score of 36 in 2018 from 34 in 2017. Transparency International, however, noted that the Philippines’ score is still far from the Asia-Pacific regional average of 44.

What is the Corruption Index

The CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories. It ranks these countries by using a scale of zero to 100, where zero is “highly corrupt” and 100 is “very clean.”

According to Transparency International, the 2018 CPI showed that anti-corruption efforts were “stalled” in most countries. The organization also noted that “the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.”

That is why it encourages all governments to strengthen the institutions in charge of maintaining checks and balances over political power so that real progress against corruption can be made and democracy can be strengthened.

Transparency International also called on the governments to support civil society organizations as well as free and independent media.