Glossary and Japanese–English Comparison (the Philippines)

As of 2026-09-08 · Updated 2026-09-08 · Section: Culture, Religion & Language · 日本語版

Built on 00_サイト設計/用語対訳集 (the register of agency names and URLs), this is an expanded, look-it-up edition covering fields and practical terminology. v0.1 was a register of "which agency sites could be retrieved." This edition is "a translation table for writing a Japanese article through to the end without losing the original terms." Keep both.

What the columns mean

Column	Content
Abbreviation / original	The form that must always be given alongside in the body of an article
Official English name	The words to use when searching the primary sources
Japanese	This site's standard rendering
Filipino	Only where known. A blank does not mean "not looked into" but "no official translation could be confirmed"
Notes	A line. marks importance, 注 marks a risk of misreading

注 The Filipino column favors "the word actually used in that field" over everyday words (the tao / bahay sort). Official Filipino names of government bodies follow each agency's own usage (its official site and official documents). (The 2026-08-26 source-hygiene pass) The Filipino Wikipedia article "Gabinete ng Pilipinas" had also been relied on, but it has been removed as a source under this body of material's primary-source-first rule. Words that rested on that article alone are 注primary-source-unreached (as of 2026-08-26), and the spelling should be checked on each agency's official site before citing. Where no official translation could be confirmed, the cell is left blank. Nothing has been filled in by guesswork.

1. 注 Terms that are easily misread — read this chapter first

The pairs listed here are only those where getting them the wrong way round makes an article factually wrong.

1-1. Statistics and the economy

Pair	A	B	The decisive difference
注 Remittances	cash remittances	personal remittances	B ⊃ A. B is the broad concept including compensation of employees, personal transfers and capital transfers; A is the cash portion recorded through banks. The BSP publishes both every month. Never write "remittances" without saying which. 注Moreover, because they are attributed by country to the head office of the remittance operator, the United States comes out overstated. Note it every time
注 Unemployment	the PSA Labor Force Survey (LFS)	the World Bank WDI's national estimate	PSA gives 4–5% (June 2026 = 4.9% / 2.59 million, reported 2026-08-06), while the WDI series gives 2–3% — an order-of-magnitude mismatch. Always use PSA-LFS for the Philippine unemployment rate
注 Poverty	poverty incidence (the official PSA poverty line)	self-rated poverty (the SWS self-assessment)	The former is income-based government statistics, the latter an opinion poll. Translating both as "the poverty rate" puts two different numbers side by side
注 Investment	approved investments (BOI / PEZA)	FDI net inflows (the BSP balance of payments)	The former is the registered amount "to be invested"; the latter is money that actually came in. They differ in magnitude and in movement
注 GDP	real GDP	nominal GDP	Changes of base year break time-series comparison. Write the base year
注 Regional statistics	The PSA's new region codes	The old region codes / DTI's divisions / the city-name divisions used in the press	The three do not agree. Take the PSA's PSGC as authoritative and hold the others as aliases

1-2. Environment and mining

Pair	A	B	The decisive difference
注 Environmental permits	ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate)	CNC (Certificate of Non-Coverage)	A is the permit taken by a project covered by the EIS system. B certifies that a project is not covered. A CNC is not an exemption from environmental regulation. Air, water and waste rules apply as a matter of course, and the EMB may impose additional measures (DAO 2003-30, §4.6). 注Neither A nor B exempts a project from other permits (same, §4.2)
注 Mining tenements	MPSA (Mineral Production Sharing Agreement)	FTAA (Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement)	A: foreign equity up to 40%. B: 100% foreign equity possible, but 注the US$50 million minimum investment comes not from the text of the Mining Act, RA 7942, but from the IRR (DAO 96-40). "The Mining Act sets US$50 million" is wrong
注 The exploration stage	EP (Exploration Permit)	MPSA / FTAA	An EP is not a right to extract and sell. Development requires converting the EP into an MPSA. 注Accounts of the term provisions (DAO 2021-12) differ over "six years / eight years in total" = unconfirmed
注 Resources	Mineral Resources (Inferred / Indicated / Measured)	Ore Reserves (Probable / Proved)	B is a subset of A — only the part with demonstrated economics and mineability becomes B. 注In Japanese both tend to be rendered "埋蔵量," and citing A as B inflates the figure several-fold. In the Philippines the reporting standard is the PMRC (Philippine Mineral Reporting Code). 注The official PMRC site (pmrc.ph) failed TLS certificate verification as of 2026-08-26 and could not be retrieved = the details are unconfirmed
注 Small-scale mining	Minahang Bayan (a declared people's small-scale mining area, RA 7076)	MRF (Materials Recovery Facility, RA 9003)	Entirely different fields. The former is mining, the latter waste. Statements confusing them by the sound of the names are in circulation
注 Statute numbers	RA 12253 (the mining fiscal regime reform act, approved 2025-09-05)	RA 12022 (the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, approved 2024-09-26)	RA 12022 has nothing to do with mining (it makes large-scale smuggling of rice, pork, onions and the like "economic sabotage," repeals RA 10845 and vests jurisdiction in the CTA, the Court of Tax Appeals). RA 12253 amends the NIRC (RA 8424) to redesign royalties and the additional profits tax on large-scale metallic mining. Do not infer content from the number alone (the approval dates of both were settled against the LawPhil texts on 2026-08-26; RA 12253's approval line reads "SEP 05 2025." The "signed 4 September" account is not adopted)
注 Lifting the open-pit ban	EO 130 (2021-04-14)	DAO 2021-40 (2021-12-23)	What repealed the open-pit ban (DAO 2017-10) was DAO 2021-40. EO 130 lifted the moratorium on new mineral agreements under Section 4 of EO 79; it did not lift the open-pit ban

1-3. Administrative divisions and politics

Pair	A	B	The decisive difference
注 Classes of city	HUC (Highly Urbanized City)	ICC (Independent Component City) / Component City	An HUC has at least 200,000 people and annual income of at least ₱50 million (1991 constant prices, RA 7160 §452), and is independent of the province, its residents not voting in provincial elections. An ICC is a city whose charter bars its residents from voting in provincial elections. A component city remains part of the province. 注The logic differs: an HUC becomes independent "automatically by scale," an ICC "by the words of its charter"
注 The number of cities	HUC 33–34, ICC 4–5	The total of independent cities is 38 either way	A framing in circulation has "HUC 34 and ICC 4 (Cotabato, Dagupan, Ormoc, Santiago), with 38 independent cities in all, every one an HUC or an ICC" (注that total of 38 is primary-source-unreached as of 2026-08-26; the PSGC original returns 403). Settled in the 2026-08-26 source-hygiene pass: Naga City was proclaimed an HUC by Proclamation No. 1267 (2026-05-26), but the ratifying plebiscite is scheduled for 2026-11-02, so its legal classification remains ICC — HUC 33 / ICC 5 is correct (sources: PIA, "PBBM proclaims Naga City as highly-urbanized city" / the official Naga City site www2.naga.gov.ph / PNA). This body of material's "Complete List of Administrative Divisions" uses HUC 33 / ICC 5 (the four above plus Naga), and the total of 38 agrees. The difference between the two accounts is therefore the single question of whether Naga City (Camarines Sur) is counted as an HUC or an ICC (that city is an ICC under its charter). When you state a number, take the PSA's PSGC as the authority and attach a date. Do not cite a Wikipedia figure bare (the connection between the two accounts was added in the 2026-08-26 verification). The cause of the difference (added in the second verification of 2026-08-26): promotion to HUC is not completed by a presidential proclamation alone; it requires ratification in a plebiscite. Naga City = Proclamation No. 1267 (2026-05-26) and Pagadian City = Proclamation No. 1247 (2021-12-08) both have proclamations only, unratified, so as of August 2026 their legal classifications remain ICC for Naga and component city for Pagadian. Do not write "the proclamation was issued, therefore it became an HUC" (source substituted 2026-08-27: the old draft cited the English Wikipedia articles "Naga, Camarines Sur," "Pagadian" and "Highly urbanized city." Sources: for Naga, the PIA and official Naga City pages above; for Pagadian, LawPhil, "Proclamation No. 1247, s. 2021" (carried in the Official Gazette; the same text also confirms that it remains a proclamation only, unratified). Retrieved 2026-08-27)
注 Presidential instruments	PD (Presidential Decree)	EO (Executive Order)	A PD was issued by Marcos Sr. in the exercise of legislative power under martial law and has the force of statute. Many are still in force (PD 442, the Labor Code; PD 1586, the EIS law). An EO is an executive order and cannot change a statute. 注In Japanese both are rendered "大統領令." Always give the English abbreviation
注 EO numbers	EO 79 (2012, Aquino III)	EO 88 (2025, Marcos Jr.)	The numbering resets with each president. In `EO ○○, s. 20XX`, you cannot identify the order without the s. = series (year)
注 Region codes	Region IV-B	MIMAROPA Region	Since RA 10879 (2016-07-17), "Region IV-B" is not the official name. The official name is "MIMAROPA Region / Southwestern Tagalog Region"
注 Special zones	PEZA (the Philippine Economic Zone Authority)	SBMA (the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)	SBMA is not under PEZA. It is an independent authority under RA 7227. The same is true of the CDC (Clark Development Corporation)
注 Regional population (2024)	The PSA's published POPCEN 2024 tabulation (Region IX = 3,943,837 / BARMM = 5,691,583)	Values redistributed to the post-EO 91 division (Region IX = 5,089,934 / BARMM = 4,545,486)	The whole difference is Sulu (1,146,097). POPCEN 2024 has a reference date of 1 July 2024, before Sulu's transfer to Region IX (EO 91 = 30 July 2025), so in the PSA tabulation Sulu is still on the BARMM side. Mixing A and B causes double counting or omission. Always state which you are using, and when using B note that it is "a redistributed value, not a PSA published figure" (added in the 2026-08-26 verification. Source: citypopulation.de / PSA-derived)
注 Provincial population and HUCs	"the population of the province"	"the population of the province excluding HUCs"	PSA's provincial tabulation as a rule includes HUCs (e.g. Cebu's 5,228,149 includes Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City). HUCs are LGUs independent of the province, so this does not match "the province's residents" in the administrative sense. It readily breaks down, together with the definition of area, when computing population density or per-capita indicators. It bears directly on rankings (added in the second verification of 2026-08-26): counting with HUCs, the most populous province is Cebu (5,228,149); counting without them, Cavite (4,573,884). Do not write "the most populous province" without saying which way you counted

1-4. Labor and companies

Pair	A	B	The decisive difference
注 Minimum wage	regional wage orders (Wage Orders / RTWPBs)	statutory wage-increase bills (Congress)	There is no single national minimum wage in the Philippines. Seventeen regional wage boards issue wage orders on their own cycles. When you see a news report, always check which track it is on
注 The NCR floor	₱695	₱755	Wage Order NCR-27 (effective 2026-07-25, +₱60) raised it to ₱755, but 注a regional trial court injunction leaves it legally unsettled as of August 2026. Article 126 of the Labor Code bars courts from enjoining wage orders, and labor argues the order is a "patent nullity" (NWPC and reporting, August 2026)
注 Contracting	contracting / subcontracting	labor-only contracting	Contracting itself is not prohibited. What is prohibited is B (DO 174-17)
注 Work from home	CREATE MORE's statutory cap = 50% of the total workforce	the 90% in FIRB Resolution 005-26 (2026-04-08)	The permanent rule is 50%. The 90% is an authority to allow a temporary measure grounded in EO 110 (the national energy emergency), not a permanent cap. "Philippine BPOs can work from home 90% of the time" is wrong
注 Occupational safety	DO 198-18	DO 252-25 (effective 2025-05-16)	Wholly replaced. If internal rules still cite the old number, they need updating
注 Receipts	Official Receipt (OR)	Invoice	RA 11976 (EOPT, 2024) consolidated everything into the Invoice. 注An old-format OR may fail the requirements for input VAT credit

1-5. Other frequent mix-ups

Pair	A	B	The decisive difference
注 The modernization program	PUVMP (Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program)	PTMP (Public Transport Modernization Program)	They are the same program. Since 2023 the official name is PTMP (DOTr DO 2023-022). Japanese articles are often still written under the old name
注 The coast guard	PCG (Philippine Coast Guard)	AFP (the armed forces)	The PCG is not part of the AFP. In peacetime it is a civilian law-enforcement agency under the Department of Transportation (DOTr), coming under the Department of National Defense in wartime. The relationship resembles that between Japan's Coast Guard and its Ministry of Defense
注 Typhoon names	The international name (e.g. Yagi)	The Philippine name (the local name assigned by PAGASA)	The same typhoon has two names. Confusing them turns it into a different disaster. In an article give both, in the order "international name (Philippine name)"
注 Typhoon strength	TCWS (wind signal) 1–5	The typhoon's category (TD / TS / STS / TY / STY)	Different scales. TCWS warns of "the wind about to blow in that area" (Signal No. 5 = 185 km/h or more, with 12 hours' lead time; PAGASA, retrieved 2026-08-26); the category describes the strength of the typhoon itself
注 Rice	palay (unmilled)	bigas (milled rice)	Milling brings the weight to about 65%. Production statistics are on a palay basis; consumption and import statistics are on a milled basis. Do not set them side by side without converting
注 The NFA	Buying and releasing buffer stocks	Importing	The NFA has no import authority (stripped by RA 11203 and not restored by RA 12078). "The NFA imported rice" is wrong
注 The death penalty	"death" in a statutory text	The current maximum penalty	RA 9346 (2006) abolished the death penalty. The maximum penalty is reclusion perpetua. Do not translate "death" in an old provision as it stands
注 Titles	TCT (land)	CCT (condominium unit)	What a foreigner gets on buying a condominium is a CCT. The transaction is complete only when the CCT issues in their own name
注 Japan's admission systems	Specified Skilled Worker (19 fields)	Employment for Skill Development (17 fields, operating from 2027-04-01)	"Specified Skilled Worker covers 14 or 16 fields" is an outdated figure. Do not cite a field count without the year (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, as of July 2026)
注 Language codes	`tl`	`fil`	Standardize on one throughout. Do not mix
注 Retrieval terms	—	—	DENR, EMB, NSWMC and DOTr name AI crawlers in their the site's automated-access policy as Disallowed and declare `ai-train=no`. They must not be retrieved automatically, including via an alternate route. Retrieve by hand and write in your own words with a source link

2. Politics and administration

2-1. The machinery of government

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
—	Republic of the Philippines	フィリピン共和国	Republika ng Pilipinas	The official name of the state
—	1987 Constitution	1987年憲法	Saligang Batas ng 1987	The constitution in force. Debate over amendment (charter change / cha-cha) recurs periodically
—	President	大統領	Pangulo	A six-year term, no re-election
—	Vice President	副大統領	Pangalawang Pangulo	Elected separately from the President. They may belong to different parties
—	Secretary (of a department)	長官／大臣	Kalihim	This site standardizes on "長官"
—	Executive Department	省	Kagawaran	E.g. Kagawaran ng Kalusugan = the DOH
—	Malacañang Palace	マラカニアン宮	Malacañang	The common name for the Office of the President
PCO	Presidential Communications Office	大統領府広報室	—	The primary outlet for presidential announcements
PIA	Philippine Information Agency	政府広報庁	—	Its regional bureaus' articles are close to a primary source for regional information
—	Official Gazette	官報	—	The publication date is the reckoning point for effectivity
—	Congress	議会	Kongreso	Bicameral
—	Senate	上院	Senado	24 seats, elected at large, six-year terms, half renewed every three years
—	House of Representatives	下院	Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan	A mix of single-member districts and party-list
—	party-list system	政党名簿制	—	A 20% share of all seats, with a cap of three seats per party. 注The "2% threshold" was held unconstitutional as to additional seats in BANAT v. COMELEC (2009). The 20th Congress has 254 district seats + 64 party-list = 318 seats (source: the official House site congress.gov.ph, "House Members – 20th Congress," retrieved 2026-08-26)
COMELEC	Commission on Elections	選挙管理委員会	—	The election-period gun ban, restrictions on transfers of officials, and placing areas under COMELEC control
—	nuisance candidate	泡沫候補	—	A mechanism by which COMELEC excludes candidates motu proprio. In the 2025 Senate race, 183 filings became 66 official candidates (PNA, Rappler, October–December 2024)
—	National Board of Canvassers	国家開票機関	—	For President and Vice-President only, a joint session of both chambers canvasses and proclaims
CSC	Civil Service Commission	人事委員会	—	The constitutional independent body for the civil service
COA	Commission on Audit	会計検査委員会	—	Its audit reports are a primary source for corruption reporting
Ombudsman	Office of the Ombudsman	オンブズマン（護民官）	Tanodbayan	Investigates and prosecutes graft by public officers

2-2. Local administration

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
LGU	Local Government Unit	地方自治体	—	Four tiers: province, city, municipality, barangay (RA 7160)
DILG	Department of the Interior and Local Government	内務地方自治省	Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal	Oversees the LGUs and the PNP
—	province	州	Lalawigan／Probinsya	Headed by a Governor (Gobernador)
—	city	市	Lungsod／Siyudad	Headed by a Mayor (Alkalde)
—	municipality	町	Bayan／Munisipalidad	Headed by a Mayor
—	barangay	バランガイ	Barangay	The smallest administrative unit. 42,010 (the figure corresponding to PSA's "First Quarter 2026 PSGC Updates," 2026-04-13. 注The figure itself is primary-source-unreached as of 2026-08-26, psa.gov.ph returning 403. PSA published the second-quarter edition 〈as of 2026-06-30〉 on 2026-07-13)
—	Punong Barangay	バランガイ長	Punong Barangay／Kapitan	Forms the council with seven kagawad and the SK chairman
—	councilor	議員	Kagawad	—
—	provincial board	州議会	Sangguniang Panlalawigan	—
—	city council	市議会	Sangguniang Panlungsod	—
—	municipal council	町議会	Sangguniang Bayan	—
—	barangay council	バランガイ評議会	Sangguniang Barangay	—
SK	Sangguniang Kabataan	青年評議会	Sangguniang Kabataan	Under RA 10742, relatives within the second degree of an incumbent elective official may not run — the first effective anti-dynasty provision
BSKE	Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections	バランガイ・SK選挙	—	RA 12232 (2025) postponed it to 2 November 2026 and set four-year terms
—	barangay tanod	バランガイ自警団員	Barangay Tanod	Unarmed patrol volunteers
—	Lupong Tagapamayapa	調停委員会	Lupong Tagapamayapa	Katarungang Pambarangay (barangay justice) is a condition precedent to litigation (RA 7160, §§399–422)
—	barangay clearance	バランガイ証明	—	A prerequisite document for many procedures
MMDA	Metropolitan Manila Development Authority	首都圏開発庁	—	注The text of RA 7924 still enumerates "eight cities and nine municipalities" (in reality 16 cities and one municipality)
BARMM	Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao	バンサモロ・ムスリム・ミンダナオ自治地域	—	RA 11054. 注By the Supreme Court ruling of 9 September 2024, Sulu ceased to be a constituent unit, and EO 91 (2025-07-30) placed it in Region IX
NIR	Negros Island Region	ネグロス島地方	—	Created by EO → abolished → re-established by statute in RA 12000 (2024-06-11) (region code 18)
PSGC	Philippine Standard Geographic Code	標準地理コード	—	The official code system for regions, provinces, cities/municipalities and barangays. This is the authority for divisions
IRA / NTA	Internal Revenue Allotment / National Tax Allotment	内国歳入割当／国税割当	—	The 2019 Mandanas ruling widened the base of the allotment. EO 138 (2021) devolved functions, and EO 103 (2025-11-06) extended it to FY2027 for cities and FY2028 for provinces and municipalities

3. The judiciary

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
SC	Supreme Court of the Philippines	最高裁判所	Kataas-taasang Hukuman	A Chief Justice and 14 Associate Justices (sc.judiciary.gov.ph, retrieved 2026-08-26)
—	Chief Justice / Associate Justice	長官／陪席判事	Punong Mahistrado／Mahistrado	—
JBC	Judicial and Bar Council	司法評議会	—	Nominates judicial candidates to the President
CA	Court of Appeals	控訴裁判所	—	—
Sandiganbayan	Sandiganbayan	汚職裁判所	Sandiganbayan	The anti-graft court for public officers. PD 1486 / 1606. RA 10660 took it from five divisions to seven (注"from three to seven" is wrong)
CTA	Court of Tax Appeals	税務裁判所	—	The specialized court for tax litigation
RTC	Regional Trial Court	地方裁判所	—	The workhorse court of first instance
MTC / MeTC / MCTC	Metropolitan / Municipal (Circuit) Trial Court	都市・町裁判所	—	Minor offenses and small claims
—	Shari'a Circuit / District Court	シャリーア裁判所	—	Under PD 1083 (the Code of Muslim Personal Laws). RA 12304 (2025) digitized procedure and had the NCMF file pleadings on parties' behalf
DOJ	Department of Justice	法務省	Kagawaran ng Katarungan	Supervises the prosecution service
NBI	National Bureau of Investigation	国家捜査局	—	Created by RA 157, modernized by RA 10867
PAO	Public Attorney's Office	公設弁護人事務所	—	—
IBP	Integrated Bar of the Philippines	統合弁護士会	—	RA 6397
—	prosecutor / fiscal	検察官	Piskal	—
—	preliminary investigation	予備捜査	—	The probable-cause examination before charging
—	writ of amparo / habeas data	アンパロ令状／ハベアス・データ	—	Remedies for human-rights violations and disappearances. Rules of the Supreme Court
—	reclusion perpetua	終身刑	—	The maximum penalty after abolition of the death penalty (RA 9346)
—	plunder	略奪罪	—	RA 7080. The threshold is ₱50 million (lowered by RA 7659, §12). As a rule non-bailable
—	graft	汚職	—	Section 3(e) of RA 3019 is the most frequently used in practice
SALN	Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth	資産・負債・純資産申告書	—	RA 6713. An annual filing duty for public officers
ADR	Alternative Dispute Resolution	裁判外紛争解決	—	RA 9285. An arbitral award is easier to enforce than a foreign judgment
ICI	Independent Commission for Infrastructure	インフラ独立委員会	—	Created by EO 94 (2025-09-11). It referred 65 people to the Ombudsman by the end of March 2026

4. The economy and finance

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
BSP	Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	フィリピン中央銀行	Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	The name of the institution is itself Filipino. The New Central Bank Act of 1993
—	Monetary Board	金融委員会	—	The BSP's highest decision-making body
RRP	Target Reverse Repurchase Rate	翌日物リバースレポ金利	—	This is the policy rate. 注In 2026 it was cut to 4.25% on 19 February, then turned to increases from 23 April, standing at 4.75% as of August (reporting and internal reconciliation, August 2026). "The Philippines is in an easing cycle" is out of date
RRR	Reserve Requirement Ratio	預金準備率	—	—
ODF / TDF	Overnight Deposit Facility / Term Deposit Facility	翌日物預金／定期預金ファシリティ	—	Components of the interest-rate corridor
BSFI	BSP-Supervised Financial Institution	BSP監督下金融機関	—	Banks, e-money issuers and the like
DEPDev	Department of Economy, Planning and Development	経済計画開発省	—	RA 12145 (2025-04-10) reorganized NEDA into it. Do not write the old name NEDA
DOF	Department of Finance	財務省	Kagawaran ng Pananalapi	—
DBM	Department of Budget and Management	予算管理省	—	Responsible for the NEP and the GAA
NEP / GAA	National Expenditure Program / General Appropriations Act	予算案／予算法	—	The NEP is a proposal; the GAA is the enacted statute. Distinguish them when citing figures
DBCC	Development Budget Coordination Committee	開発予算調整委員会	—	Sets the economic outlook and fiscal targets
PSA	Philippine Statistics Authority	フィリピン統計庁	—	RA 10625 merged the NSO, BAS, BLES and NSCB
LFS	Labor Force Survey	労働力調査	—	Monthly since 2021. 注A change in the definition of unemployment in April 2005 means it cannot be joined to earlier data
FIES	Family Income and Expenditure Survey	家計収入支出調査	—	The basis of the poverty rate. Every three years
CPI	Consumer Price Index	消費者物価指数	—	Beware the change of base year
BOP	Balance of Payments	国際収支	—	—
GIR	Gross International Reserves	外貨準備高（グロス）	—	RA 11256 exempted gold sales to the BSP from tax in order to strengthen the GIR
PSE / PSEi	Philippine Stock Exchange / PSE index	フィリピン証券取引所／総合指数	—	The PSEi comprises 30 issues
SEC	Securities and Exchange Commission	証券取引委員会	—	It also handles company registration. SEC ZERO, eSPARC, OneSEC and eFAST are the current electronic windows (MC 3, s. 2025)
OPC	One Person Corporation	一人会社	—	Created by RA 11232. The minimum capital requirement was abolished
FINL	Foreign Investment Negative List	外国投資ネガティブリスト	—	The current one is the 13th (EO 113, 2026-04-13). 注"The 12th (EO 175) is current" is wrong
PSA (the Act)	Public Service Act (RA 11659)	公益事業法	—	60-40 survives in six areas: electricity distribution, electricity transmission, petroleum pipelines, water and wastewater pipelines, seaports and public utility vehicles. 注Do not confuse "100% foreign shipping" with "60-40 seaports"
BMBE	Barangay Micro Business Enterprises	零細事業者	—	RA 9178. Registered micro enterprises are exempt from the minimum wage
MSME	Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises	中小零細企業	—	RA 9501's size classes are also used to determine exemption from the EPR law
IPA	Investment Promotion Agency	投資促進機関	—	The collective term for BOI, PEZA, SBMA, CDC and others
RBE	Registered Business Enterprise	登録事業者	—	An enterprise registered with an IPA and receiving incentives
FIRB	Fiscal Incentives Review Board	財政優遇審査委員会	—	The final reviewer of incentives. Resolution 005-26 (2026-04-08) allowed 90% WFH temporarily
PPP	Public-Private Partnership	官民連携	—	RA 11966 (the PPP Code). The basis of the Swiss challenge procedure
IT-BPM	Information Technology and Business Process Management	IT・ビジネスプロセス管理	—	The current, broader term in place of "BPO"
OFW	Overseas Filipino Worker	海外フィリピン人労働者	Bagong Bayani ("new heroes")	The latter is a stock phrase in government and press usage
4Ps	Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program	条件付現金給付	Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program	EO 120 (2026-07-13) extended eligibility to a maximum of seven years

5. Taxation

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
BIR	Bureau of Internal Revenue	内国歳入庁	—	Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas (its own usage)
BOC	Bureau of Customs	関税局	—	—
NIRC	National Internal Revenue Code (RA 8424)	内国歳入法典	—	The basic tax code. Everything below amends it
TRAIN	Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (RA 10963)	TRAIN法	—	Revised income tax rates, a ₱90,000 a year exemption for 13th month pay plus bonuses, and mining excise from 2% to 4%
CREATE	Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (RA 11534)	CREATE法	—	Corporate tax from 30% to 25% (20% for small corporations). 注The 1% MCIT ended on 2023-06-30; it is now 2%
CREATE MORE	…to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (RA 12066)	CREATE MORE法	—	20% corporate tax on electing the EDR, a 50% WFH cap, and authority for electronic invoicing. 注The enactment date differs between primary sources: LawPhil "NOV 08 2024" and the DOF "November 11, 2024"
EOPT	Ease of Paying Taxes Act (RA 11976)	納税容易化法	—	Consolidated the OR into the Invoice
CMEPA	Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (RA 12214)	資本市場効率化法	—	Interest taxed at a unified 20%; the stock transaction tax from 0.6% to 0.1% (effective 2025-07-01)
—	VAT on Digital Services (RA 12023)	デジタルサービスVAT	—	12% VAT on non-resident providers (from 2025-06-02), with a ₱3 million registration threshold
RPVARA	Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RA 12001)	不動産評価改革法	—	A nationally uniform valuation standard (the SMV). 注Suspending its implementation became a political issue in 2026
ITH	Income Tax Holiday	法人所得税免税期間	—	The entry point to incentives
SCIT	Special Corporate Income Tax	特別法人所得税	—	5% of gross income. An option after the ITH
EDR / ED	Enhanced Deductions Regime / Enhanced Deductions	拡大控除制度	—	An alternative to the SCIT. Under CREATE MORE it can be combined with the 20% corporate rate (RR 7-2025)
CWT / EWT	Creditable / Expanded Withholding Tax	源泉徴収税	—	—
DST	Documentary Stamp Tax	印紙税	—	Revised by CMEPA
CGT	Capital Gains Tax	譲渡所得税	—	For real property, 6% as a rule (on the gross amount)
RR / RMC / RMO	Revenue Regulations / Memorandum Circular / Memorandum Order	歳入規則／通達／命令	—	The operative detail is here. Reading only the statute leads you astray
TIN	Taxpayer Identification Number	納税者番号	—	—
—	excise tax suspension (RA 12316)	石油物品税停止権限	—	If Dubai crude (the MOPS average) stays at or above US$80 a barrel for a month, the President may suspend it. Up to three months at a time, up to one year in total per year, with the authority running to 2028-12-31 (enacted 2026-03-25)

6. Labor

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DOLE	Department of Labor and Employment	労働雇用省	—	—
—	Labor Code (PD 442)	労働法典	—	Promulgated 1974-05-01, effective 1974-11-01
NLRC	National Labor Relations Commission	国家労働関係委員会	—	The quasi-judicial body for labor disputes
NWPC	National Wages and Productivity Commission	国家賃金生産性委員会	—	The central body for wage policy
RTWPB	Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board	地域三者賃金生産性委員会	—	Seventeen regions issue wage orders individually
—	Wage Order	賃金令	—	Effective 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation (RA 6727). As a rule not within 12 months of the last one
COLA	Cost of Living Allowance	生活費手当	—	注The amount in a wage order is basic pay. Allowances and transport cannot as a rule be counted in
—	13th month pay (PD 851)	13か月給与	—	Mandatory for rank-and-file. 注The exemption is ₱90,000 a year combined with bonuses
SEnA	Single Entry Approach	単一窓口調停	—	The mandatory gateway for every labor dispute (RA 10396 / Labor Code Art. 228)
—	two-notice rule	二重通知原則	—	The procedural requirement for dismissal (DO 147-15)
—	regularization	正社員化	—	After a probationary period of six months as a rule
—	endo / contractualization	短期雇用の反復	Endo ("end of contract")	A political issue. What is prohibited is labor-only contracting
AEP	Alien Employment Permit	外国人雇用許可	—	The rules were wholly renewed by DO 248, s. 2025 plus DO 248-A, s. 2025. 注The fees conflict by source: ₱9,000/₱4,000 and ₱10,000 → ₱6,000 = check locally
OSH	Occupational Safety and Health (RA 11058)	労働安全衛生	—	The IRR is DO 252-25 (effective 2025-05-16)
SSS	Social Security System	社会保障機構	—	A 15% rate (employee 5% / employer 10%), MSC ceiling ₱35,000 (RA 11199, final step in 2025)
Pag-IBIG / HDMF	Home Development Mutual Fund	住宅開発相互基金	Pagtutulungan sa Kinabukasan: Ikaw, Bangko, Industriya at Gobyerno	2% each from employer and employee (ceiling ₱10,000); payment due by the 10th of the following month
PhilHealth	Philippine Health Insurance Corporation	健康保険公社	—	Universal membership under the UHC Act
—	Domestic Workers Act (RA 10361)	家事労働者法	Batas Kasambahay	Section 30: SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG contributions are as a rule borne entirely by the employer. 注A domestic worker receiving ₱5,000 a month or more pays their own proportionate share (corrected 2026-08-26; the old statement was the reverse of the text)
—	kasambahay	家事労働者	Kasambahay	Wages come under a separate "DW" wage order (NCR-DW-06 = ₱7,800 a month, from 2026-02-07, NWPC)
—	maternity leave (RA 11210)	産休	—	105 days (+15 for solo parents)
—	paternity leave (RA 8187)	父親休暇	—	Seven days fully paid, for the first four deliveries
—	VAWC leave (RA 9262)	VAWC休暇	—	Ten days, paid
—	solo parent leave (RA 11861, §8)	ひとり親休暇	—	Seven working days a year, paid, non-cumulative. RA 11861 lapsed into law on 2022-06-04. It amends RA 8972
—	EBET (RA 12063)	企業内教育訓練枠組み	—	The Labor Code's apprenticeship and learnership chapters were repealed by Section 36 of RA 12063 (2024-11-07). An apprentice's training allowance must be at least 75% of the minimum wage
—	service charge (RA 11360)	サービスチャージ	—	Amended Article 96 of the Labor Code (2019-08-07). 100% distributed equally to all workers except managerial employees. It cannot be counted toward the minimum wage
—	telecommuting (RA 11165)	テレワーク	—	The IRR is DO 237-22
—	union / strike	労働組合／ストライキ	Unyon／Welga	—
—	worker	労働者	Manggagawa	—
—	wage	賃金	Sahod／Suweldo	—

7. Education

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DepEd	Department of Education	教育省	Kagawaran ng Edukasyon	Responsible for basic education
CHED	Commission on Higher Education	高等教育委員会	—	RA 7722. A reform bill (HB 4958) was under deliberation in 2026
TESDA	Technical Education and Skills Development Authority	技術教育技能開発庁	—	Vocational training and skills certification
K to 12	Enhanced Basic Education Act (RA 10533)	K to 12制度	—	Kindergarten + 6 elementary + 4 junior high + 2 senior high
JHS / SHS	Junior / Senior High School	前期／後期中等教育	—	SHS was rolled out nationwide from SY 2016-17
—	SHS tracks & strands	SHS の系列・専攻	—	Academic (ABM / STEM / HUMSS / GAS), TVL, Sports, Arts and Design
MATATAG	MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum	MATATAG課程	Matatag (= resilient, unshakeable)	Announced 2023-08-10, decongesting content for K–10. The slogan is "Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa." 注"Introduced in response to PISA 2022" reverses the chronology (PISA 2022 was published 2023-12-05)
MTB-MLE	Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education	母語基盤多言語教育	—	RA 12027 (lapsed into law 2024-10-10) ended mother-tongue instruction for K–3 as a rule. 注"The Philippines is a country of mother-tongue education" is now wrong
—	RA 12322	教授法裁量法	—	2026-08-02. Gives DepEd discretion in choosing pedagogical approaches
EDCOM 2	Second Congressional Commission on Education	第2次議会教育委員会	—	Submitted its final report, Turning Point, on 2026-01-26. Its term was extended by RA 12315 (2026-03-04)
ARAL	ARAL Program Act (RA 12028)	学習補習法	Aral (= to learn)	Nationwide remediation for learning loss
—	Free Tuition Law (RA 10931)	高等教育無償化法	—	Free tuition at state universities and colleges, plus TES and student loans
UniFAST	Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education	統一学生支援制度	—	The TES allocation criteria are in MC 5, s. 2023
SUC / LUC	State / Local University or College	国立／地方公立大学	—	—
UP	University of the Philippines	フィリピン大学	—	The only university designated "the national university" by statute (RA 9500)
PRC	Professional Regulation Commission	職業規制委員会	—	Administers the national licensure (board) examinations
NSTP / ROTC	National Service Training Program / Reserve Officers' Training Corps	国家奉仕研修／予備役将校訓練課程	—	RA 9163 made ROTC elective rather than compulsory
—	school year	学年度	—	DO 009, s. 2026 moved from quarters to trimesters
—	teacher / student / school	教員／生徒／学校	Guro／Mag-aaral／Paaralan	—

8. Health

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DOH	Department of Health	保健省	Kagawaran ng Kalusugan	—
UHC	Universal Health Care Act (RA 11223)	ユニバーサルヘルスケア法	—	It is "universal membership," not "full coverage." Out-of-pocket costs remain
—	direct / indirect contributors	直接／間接拠出者	—	The membership categories under the UHC Act. For the latter the government pays the premium
—	case rate	疾患別定額給付	—	All Case Rates is the basic form of benefit
Konsulta	Konsulta Package	外来プライマリケア給付	Konsulta (= consultation)	Care at a registered facility
YAKAP	(A PhilHealth benefit and enrollment program of 2026)	──	Yakap (= embrace)	Rolled out nationwide in 2026 (PIA 2026-07-16, PNA 2026-03-26). 注The official English expansion could not be confirmed in this study = unconfirmed. For 2026 it was reported to cover 21 essential medicines (GMA 2026-01-26)
Z Benefits	Z Benefit Packages	高額疾患給付	—	Cancer, dialysis and the like
FDA	Food and Drug Administration	食品医薬品庁	—	Processed food and medicines fall to the FDA, primary products to the DA (RA 10611)
—	Generics Act (RA 6675)	ジェネリック医薬品法	—	Requires the generic name on prescriptions
—	Cheaper Medicines Act (RA 9502)	安価良質医薬品法	—	Parallel importation, the Bolar exception, compulsory licensing
—	Anti-Hospital Deposit Law (RA 10932)	反病院デポジット法	—	Demanding a deposit before treatment in emergency or serious cases is unlawful. Three violations mean revocation of the license
—	Mental Health Act (RA 11036)	精神保健法	—	Early legislation even by Southeast Asian standards
—	notifiable disease	届出感染症	—	RA 11332. The basis for declaring "a state of public health emergency of national concern"
PhilSA/DOST and others	—	—	—	(→ chapters 9 and 16)
—	Virology and Vaccine Institute (RA 12290)	ウイルス・ワクチン研究所	—	The 2025-09-12 establishing statute
—	health / hospital / medicine	健康／病院／薬	Kalusugan／Ospital／Gamot	—

9. Energy

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DOE	Department of Energy	エネルギー省	Kagawaran ng Enerhiya	—
ERC	Energy Regulatory Commission	エネルギー規制委員会	—	Approves tariffs. 注All paths on its site return 403
EPIRA	Electric Power Industry Reform Act (RA 9136)	電力産業改革法	—	Broke up vertical integration, took generation out of public-utility status, and provided for full pass-through of costs. Approved 2001-06-08 / effective 06-26. Three amendments (checked 2026-08-26): RA 10150 (2011) = §73 / RA 11552 (2021-05-27) = §73 (extending lifeline rates by 50 years and making 4Ps households statutory beneficiaries) / RA 12179 (2025-04-18) = §50 (extending PSALM's existence to 2036-06-26)
NGCP	National Grid Corporation of the Philippines	国家送電公社	—	A 50-year franchise under RA 9511. Calls for revocation recur
TransCo	National Transmission Corporation	送電資産保有会社	—	The assets are the state's; operation is NGCP's
PSALM	Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.	電力資産負債管理公社	—	Disposes of the former NPC's assets and debts
NPC	National Power Corporation	国家電力公社	—	Serves off-grid islands (SPUG)
WESM	Wholesale Electricity Spot Market	卸電力スポット市場	—	Commercial operation from 2006
IEMOP	Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines	独立電力市場運営者	—	The market operator and registry established in 2018
RCOA	Retail Competition and Open Access	小売競争・開放接続	—	A regime letting customers choose their supplier. 注The timing of lowering the threshold (contracted demand) was reported as 100 kW in June 2026, but could not be verified at first hand in this study = unconfirmed
—	contestable customer	契約自由需要家	—	The large customers covered by RCOA
DU	Distribution Utility	配電事業者	—	Meralco, the electric cooperatives (ECs) and others
EC	Electric Cooperative	電力協同組合	—	The main vehicle of rural distribution (under the NEA)
FIT	Feed-in Tariff	固定価格買取	—	RA 9513
GEA / GEAP	Green Energy Auction (Program)	グリーンエネルギー・オークション	—	Auction procurement of renewable capacity
RPS	Renewable Portfolio Standards	再エネ調達義務	—	—
—	net metering	ネットメータリング	—	DC 2026-01-00012 cut the distribution utility's processing deadline from 45 working days to 10 working days and introduced deemed approval
SC / COC	Service Contract / Coal Operating Contract	石油・ガス役務契約／石炭操業契約	—	The former under PD 87, the latter under PD 972
—	Natural Gas Industry Development Act (RA 12120)	天然ガス産業開発法	—	The IRR is DC 2025-4-5. It gives priority procurement to power from domestic gas
PhilATOM	Philippine Nuclear Regulatory Act (RA 12305)	原子力規制法／新規制機関	—	Enacted in 2025. It creates an independent nuclear regulator and prohibits non-peaceful use
—	EO 110, s. 2026	国家エネルギー緊急事態	—	The signature line of the text reads 2026-03-24. 注The LawPhil index misprints it as "January 24, 2026." Look at the signature line of the text, not the index
—	electricity / oil	電気／石油	Kuryente／Langis	—

10. Environment and waste

注 The primary sources for this chapter (DENR, EMB, NSWMC) must not be retrieved automatically. What follows is based on the statutory texts (LawPhil) and this body of material's earlier research.

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DENR	Department of Environment and Natural Resources	環境天然資源省	Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman	注Disallows AI crawlers in the site's automated-access policy
EMB	Environmental Management Bureau	環境管理局	—	The issuing body for ECCs and CNCs
BMB / FMB / MGB	Biodiversity / Forest / Mines and Geosciences Bureau	生物多様性局／森林管理局／鉱山地球科学局	—	Bureaus of the DENR
EIS	Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System (PD 1586)	環境影響評価制度	—	The basis of the ECC. 注The maximum fine remains ₱50,000 per violation, unchanged since 1978. The effective sanctions are the CDO and revocation of the ECC
ECC	Environmental Compliance Certificate	環境適合証明書	—	→ see 1-2
CNC	Certificate of Non-Coverage	非該当証明書	—	→ see 1-2
ECA / ECP	Environmentally Critical Area / Project	環境上重要な地域／事業	—	The basis of category determination
IEE / EIS / EPRMP	Initial Environmental Examination / EIS / Environmental Performance Report and Management Plan	初期環境調査／環境影響評価書／環境実績報告管理計画	—	The document required varies with the scale of the project
EMP / EMF / EGF	Environmental Management Plan / Monitoring Fund / Guarantee Fund	環境管理計画／監視基金／保証基金	—	Obligations following the ECC
MMT	Multipartite Monitoring Team	多者監視チーム	—	Joint monitoring by residents, the LGU and the proponent
—	DAO 2003-30	The current implementing rules of the EIS system	—	Processing deadlines of 120/180 working days, automatic approval under §8.2.1, and the Programmatic EIS under §4.4
CDO	Cease and Desist Order	操業停止命令	—	Immediately effective. In practice the strongest sanction
—	Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003)	固形廃棄物管理法	—	The short title says "of 2000," but approval was 2001-01-26. It is not a recycling law but a framework law imposing implementation duties on LGUs
NSWMC	National Solid Waste Management Commission	国家固形廃棄物管理委員会	—	Chaired by the DENR Secretary. Its current composition is eight government agencies plus five private-sector seats (Section 4 of RA 11898 amended Section 4 of RA 9003; the "14 government plus 3 private" of the original enactment is the pre-amendment figure. Checked 2026-08-26)
MRF	Materials Recovery Facility	資源回収施設	—	RA 9003 §32. 注Two counts coexist: 11,637 (2021, COA) and "more than 20,000" (2026-01-27, a statement by the DENR Secretary). The number established and the number operating are different things
SLF	Sanitary Landfill	衛生埋立処分場	—	Open dumps are wholly prohibited by §37 (from 2001-02-16)
—	open dumpsite	オープンダンプ	—	注Prohibited yet still existing. The Payatas collapse (2000-07-10) was the direct impetus for RA 9003. The death toll has never been settled
EPR	Extended Producer Responsibility Act (RA 11898)	拡大生産者責任法	—	Recovery targets for plastic packaging: 20% in 2023 → 60% in 2026 → 80% from 2028. Only large enterprises are covered. The operative provision is RA 9003 §44-F (part of Chapter III-A inserted by Section 6 of RA 11898). Covered enterprises = §44-B; penalties = §49(g) (confirmed 2026-08-26)
NIPAS / E-NIPAS	(Expanded) National Integrated Protected Areas System	統合保護地域制度	—	RA 7586 → RA 10629 (2013, §16 reserving 75% of the IPAF) → RA 11038 (2018). 注The "number of protected areas" varies with the year and the method of counting: 107 / 244 / 248 / 251 all circulate
PSF	People's Survival Fund	人民生存基金	—	The basis is Sections 18–25 of RA 9729 (inserted by Section 13 of RA 10174). ₱1 billion a year in the GAA (checked 2026-08-26)
CCC	Climate Change Commission	気候変動委員会	—	RA 9729 (its composition and powers are governed by Section 5 as amended by Section 4 of RA 10174)
NDC	Nationally Determined Contribution	国が決定する貢献	—	The emissions target under the Paris Agreement
PCSD	Palawan Council for Sustainable Development	パラワン持続的開発評議会	—	RA 7611. Within Palawan, even CITES enforcement falls to the PCSD
NbS	Nature-based Solutions	自然を基盤とする解決策	—	Made national policy for the first time by DAO 2026-30 (2026-06-29)
—	environment / garbage / forest	環境／ごみ／森	Kapaligiran／Basura／Gubat	—

11. Mining

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
MGB	Mines and Geosciences Bureau	鉱山地球科学局	—	The DENR bureau responsible for mining
—	Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (RA 7942)	鉱業法	—	The tenement system of MPSA, FTAA and EP. The IRR is DAO 96-40 → DAO 2010-21
MPSA	Mineral Production Sharing Agreement	鉱物生産分与契約	—	→ see 1-2 (40% foreign)
FTAA	Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement	財政技術支援契約	—	→ see 1-2 (100% foreign possible)
EP	Exploration Permit	探鉱許可	—	→ see 1-2
MPP / MPSA area	Mineral Processing Permit	鉱物加工許可	—	The permit for smelting and refining
SSMP	Small-Scale Mining Permit	小規模鉱業許可	—	Issued under RA 7076 by the PMRB
Minahang Bayan	People's Small-Scale Mining Area	小規模鉱業指定区域	Minahang Bayan	The IRR is DAO 2015-03 → DAO 2022-03
ISSMC	Interim Small-Scale Mining Contract	暫定小規模鉱業契約	—	Newly created by DAO 2026-08 (August 2026). Two years, non-renewable, with the contract expressly requiring that recovered gold be sold only to the BSP
PMRB	Provincial / City Mining Regulatory Board	州・市鉱業規制委員会	—	The permitting body for small-scale mining
—	RA 11256	The act exempting gold sales to the BSP	—	Exempts gold sold to the BSP by small-scale miners and traders from income and excise tax. The IRR is RR 4-2020
—	RA 12253	The mining fiscal regime reform act	—	Redesigns royalties and the additional profits tax for large-scale metallic mining. 注The Senate version's clause banning exports of unprocessed nickel ore from 2030 was deleted in the bicameral conference. The DOF promulgated the IRR in December 2025 (a first-year gain of ₱6.3 billion is projected)
—	EO 122, s. 2026	A unified national policy framework for critical minerals	—	Signed 2026-08-21. It reconstitutes the MICC under joint DENR–DOF chairmanship, provides for parallel processing of permits, and gives domestic processing plants priority access to ore. 注As of 2026-08-26 it was not in LawPhil's 2026 EO index = the text is unverified. At present only the PCO announcement and press reporting support it, so do not state the details of the text as settled (注 added in the 2026-08-26 verification)
MICC	Mining Industry Coordinating Council	鉱業産業調整評議会	—	Reconstituted by EO 122
PMRC	Philippine Mineral Reporting Code	フィリピン鉱物報告規範	—	The reporting standard for resources and reserves. 注The official site could not be retrieved because of a TLS defect = the details are unconfirmed
IPRA / FPIC	Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (RA 8371) / Free, Prior and Informed Consent	先住民族権利法／自由意思による事前の情報に基づく同意	—	Section 59: no concession may be issued without NCIP certification. The single greatest precondition in mining
CADT / CALT	Certificate of Ancestral Domain / Land Title	祖先伝来地権原証書	—	Issued by the NCIP
—	gold / copper / nickel	金／銅／ニッケル	Ginto／Tanso／Nikel	—

12. Agriculture and fisheries

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DA	Department of Agriculture	農業省	Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka	—
DAR	Department of Agrarian Reform	農地改革省	Kagawaran ng Repormang Pansakahan	Responsible for CARP
CARP / CARPER	Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Extension with Reforms)	包括的農地改革計画	—	Land distribution. Its ownership ceilings and transfer restrictions also bite in real-estate practice
—	palay	籾（未精米）	Palay	The unit of production statistics. Milling brings it to about 65%
—	milled rice	精米	Bigas	The unit of consumption and import statistics
NFA	National Food Authority	国家食糧庁	—	No import authority. Only the purchase of domestic palay and buffer stocking. Corroborated against the original text in the 2026-08-26 verification: Section 6 of RA 12078 provides that under a food security emergency the DA Secretary designates the importing entity, but expressly "with the exception of the NFA" (the LawPhil text). "RA 12078 restored the NFA's import authority" is wrong
RTL	Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203)	コメ関税化法	—	Abolished the NFA's import monopoly and converted QRs to tariffs. Amended by RA 12078 (2024-12-06)
RCEF	Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund	コメ競争力強化基金	—	Originally under RA 11203, ₱10 billion a year for six years (mechanization 50% / seed 30% / credit 10% / extension 10%). RA 12078 (2024-12-06) raised it to ₱30 billion a year and extended it to 2031 (added in the 2026-08-26 verification. Source: the LawPhil text of ra_12078_2024, "an annual appropriation of Thirty billion pesos... until the year 2031"). 注Writing "₱10 billion a year" describes the position before December 2024. 注Disbursement is low (62.59% for full-year 2023; mechanization 33.25% — House CPBRD, 2024-05)
PhilRice / PhilMech	Philippine Rice Research Institute / Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization	稲研究所／収穫後機械化センター	—	The implementing agencies for RCEF
—	food security emergency	食料安全保障緊急事態	—	Under a declaration the NFA may release buffer stocks
—	EO 93 / 102 / 105 / 118 (2025–26)	Rice import suspension, tariffs and retail price caps	—	The import suspension began 2025-09-01 and was extended to 2025-12-31 (four months in all). EO 118 (2026-05-13) set a retail cap of ₱50/kg on imported rice (5% broken)
MAV	Minimum Access Volume	最低輸入量	—	RA 8178. EO 116 (2026-05-19) raised the MAV for pork
BFAR	Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources	漁業水産資源局	—	—
—	municipal waters	自治体水域	—	The 15 km of coastal waters reserved to small-scale fisherfolk. 注The Mercidar case (the Supreme Court First Division dismissed BFAR's motion on 2024-08-19) reignited calls to open them
—	commercial fishing	商業漁業	—	Distinguished from municipal (small-scale) fishing
IUU	Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing	違法・無報告・無規制漁業	—	RA 10654 (2015) stiffened penalties in response to the EU's yellow card
—	aquaculture	養殖	—	Q2 2026: 460,930 tons, a 44.9% share (−4.7% year on year, BFAR)
—	FAO 266	Fisheries Administrative Order No. 266	—	Requires commercial fishing vessels to transmit their position continuously and report catches electronically (effective October 2020)
SRA	Sugar Regulatory Administration	砂糖規制庁	—	RA 10659. An amending bill (HB 9088) was under deliberation in 2026
—	farmer / fisherfolk / harvest	農民／漁民／収穫	Magsasaka／Mangingisda／Ani	—

13. Transport

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DOTr	Department of Transportation	運輸省	Kagawaran ng Transportasyon	注Disallows AI crawlers in the site's automated-access policy
DPWH	Department of Public Works and Highways	公共事業道路省	Kagawaran ng mga Pagawain at Lansangang Bayan	Roads and bridges
LTFRB	Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board	陸運免許規制委員会	—	Regulates franchises (CPCs), routes and fares. The previously used "Franchise" was wrong; the official name is "Franchising" (corrected in the 2026-08-26 verification; the rendering in "Index of Persons and Organizations" was right and this table was wrong)
LTO	Land Transportation Office	陸運局	—	Vehicle registration, driver's licenses and enforcement. 注A different role from the LTFRB
CPC	Certificate of Public Convenience	公共運送事業免許	—	—
PTMP (formerly PUVMP)	Public Transport Modernization Program	公共交通近代化計画	—	The same program. The current name is PTMP (DOTr DO 2023-022). The consolidation deadline of 2026-04-30 was reiterated (PNA, 2026-04-30)
—	jeepney / tricycle	ジープニー／トライシクル	Dyip／Traysikel	注Tricycles are registered with the LTO but franchised by the LGU
—	UV Express	UVエクスプレス	—	Shared vans
—	fare	運賃	Pamasahe	—
MARINA	Maritime Industry Authority	海事産業庁	—	Regulates shipping operators and vessels
PPA	Philippine Ports Authority	港湾庁	—	PD 857. Cebu was separated out under the CPA by RA 7621
PCG	Philippine Coast Guard	沿岸警備隊	—	A civilian law-enforcement agency under the DOTr (→ 1-5)
CAAP	Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines	民間航空庁	—	The aviation authority; operates the regional airports
CAB	Civil Aeronautics Board	民間航空委員会	—	Economic regulation of air routes and fares
PNR	Philippine National Railways	国鉄	—	Not abolished. It gave up its own tracks for NSCR construction and is suspended. Revival in Metro Manila is envisaged for 2028–29
LRTA / MRT	Light Rail Transit Authority / Metro Rail Transit	軽軌道交通庁／MRT	—	LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3
NSCR	North-South Commuter Railway	南北通勤鉄道	—	In substance the successor to the PNR's Metro Manila section
MVUC	Motor Vehicle User's Charge	自動車利用者負担金	—	LTO MC 2026-2183 gives a 30% discount for BEVs and 15% for HEVs
EVIDA / EVIS	Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (RA 11697) / EV Incentive Strategy	EV産業振興法／EVインセンティブ戦略	—	EVIS is EO 121 (signed 2026-07-29, effective 7-30)
ROW	Right-of-Way (RA 12289)	用地取得	—	2025-09-12. Reforms the right-of-way acquisition process for infrastructure
—	road / train / ship / airport	道路／列車／船／空港	Daan／Tren／Barko／Paliparan	—

14. Real estate

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
DHSUD	Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development	人間居住都市開発省	—	RA 11201. The former HUDCC plus HLURB
HSAC	Human Settlements Adjudication Commission	住宅紛争裁定委員会	—	The former HLURB's adjudicatory function
LRA / RD	Land Registration Authority / Registry of Deeds	土地登記庁／登記所	—	Always obtain a certified true copy yourself. Do not judge from a copy the seller shows you
TCT	Transfer Certificate of Title	移転権利証（土地）	—	—
CCT	Condominium Certificate of Title	区分所有権利証	—	This is what a foreigner obtains
OCT	Original Certificate of Title	原始権利証	—	Land registered for the first time
—	Torrens system	トーレンス登記制度	—	注Even with registration, fake titles exist. In August 2021, 13 people including seven LRA employees were charged over fraudulent titling (Philstar, 2021-08-28)
—	Condominium Act (RA 4726)	コンドミニアム法	—	Section 5. Foreign holdings may not exceed 40% of the whole condominium project
—	foreign quota	外国人枠	—	Confirm the remaining quota in writing before contracting. If it is full, no CCT will issue
CA 108	Anti-Dummy Law	反ダミー法	—	Criminalizes nominee arrangements. Amended by RA 134, RA 6084 and PD 715. 注RA 6084 makes a common-law relationship prima facie evidence of a violation
—	Investors' Lease Act (RA 7652 → RA 12252)	投資家土地賃借法	—	On 2025-09-03 the maximum went to 99 years (from 50 + 25 = 75). 注This is not a liberalization of land ownership
—	Maceda Law (RA 6552)	マセダ法	—	Protects installment buyers (cash surrender value, grace periods)
—	Lina Law (RA 7279)	都市開発住宅法	—	Section 18 = the balanced-housing obligation. RA 10884 set it at 15% for subdivisions and 5% for condominiums
—	informal settler family	非正規居住世帯	—	注"Squatter" carries pejorative connotations; official documents use ISF
—	dual citizenship (RA 9225)	二重国籍	—	Reacquiring citizenship by oath removes the area limits on land acquisition
—	Local Transfer Tax	地方移転税	—	注In practice 0.5–0.75%, but it is set by local ordinance. The text of RA 7160 §135 is unverified in this body of material. Section 38 of RA 12001 (RPVARA, 2024-06-13) has amended §135(a) to the extent of any inconsistency — so the LawPhil text of RA 7160 is not necessarily the provision in force (checked 2026-08-26)
—	land / house / rent	土地／家／賃料	Lupa／Bahay／Upa	—

15. Immigration and residence

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
BI	Bureau of Immigration	入国管理局	—	Responsible for visas and residence
9(a)	Temporary Visitor Visa	短期滞在（観光）査証	—	Under EO 408, Japanese nationals need no visa for tourism of up to 30 days
9(d)	Treaty Trader / Treaty Investor	条約商人・投資家査証	—	—
9(e)	Accredited Official of Foreign Government	外国政府公務員査証	—	—
9(f)	Student Visa	学生査証	—	—
9(g)	Pre-arranged Employment Visa	就労査証	—	Obtained together with the AEP (DOLE)
13(a)	Immigrant Visa by Marriage	比国民の配偶者査証	—	A permanent-residence category
13(e) / 13(g)	Returning Resident / Returning Former Natural-Born Filipino Citizen	帰国居住者／元比国民	—	—
PRV	Permanent Resident Visa	永住査証	—	—
SVEG	Special Visa for Employment Generation	雇用創出特別査証	—	Conditional on creating a set number of jobs
SEVUA	Special Entry Visa Upon Arrival	到着時発給特別査証	—	—
SRRV	Special Resident Retiree's Visa	特別居住退職者査証	—	Administered by the PRA (EO 1037, s. 1985)
SIRV	Special Investor's Resident Visa	特別投資家居住査証	—	Administered by the BOI
—	Digital Nomad Visa	デジタルノマド査証	—	Authorized by EO 86 (2025-04-24) (the LawPhil 2025 EO index)
ACR I-Card	Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card	外国人登録証	—	Issued by the BI. An Annual Report is required
ECC	Emigration Clearance Certificate	出国許可証	—	注Exactly the same abbreviation as the environmental ECC. Distinguish by context (the BI's ECC-A / ECC-B)
—	eTravel	電子渡航申告	—	The "Philippine One-Stop Electronic Travel Declaration System" (etravel.gov.ph)
—	Anti-POGO Act of 2025 (RA 12312)	反POGO法	—	Made the ban permanent by statute. Up to 12 years' imprisonment plus up to ₱50 million, invalidation of work visas, and forfeiture of assets
DMW	Department of Migrant Workers	移住労働者省	Kagawaran ng mga Manggagawang Migrante	Consolidated the former POEA and others
MWO	Migrant Workers Office (formerly POLO)	移住労働者事務所	—	Co-located with overseas posts. Tokyo = mwo-tokyo.dmw.gov.ph
OWWA	Overseas Workers Welfare Administration	海外労働者福祉庁	—	A membership-fee welfare fund
OEC	Overseas Employment Certificate	海外雇用証明書	—	Required on departure. Balik Manggagawa (returning workers) use a simplified process
JFC	Japanese-Filipino Children	日系フィリピン人（二世等）	—	—
IACAT	Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking	人身取引対策省庁間協議会	—	The basis of departure screening (offloading)
—	特定技能 (Japan)	Specified Skilled Worker	—	—
—	育成就労 (Japan)	Employment for Skill Development	—	—
EPA	Economic Partnership Agreement	経済連携協定	—	The acceptance of candidate nurses and care workers under JPEPA (JICWELS)
—	foreigner / passport / visa	外国人／旅券／査証	Dayuhan／Pasaporte／Bisa	—

16. Disasters

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
PAGASA	Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration	大気地球物理天文局（気象庁）	—	注Past tropical cyclone bulletins (TCBs) remain only for one calendar week after the final issuance. They must be mirrored immediately
PHIVOLCS	Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology	火山地震研究所	—	注The main site is missing its TLS intermediate certificate. Modernized by RA 12180 (2025-04-24)
NDRRMC	National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council	国家防災減災管理評議会	—	RA 10121 (approved 2010-05-27). The Local DRRM Fund (LDRRMF) = "not less than 5% of the estimated revenue from regular sources" (Section 21). 注The old statement "5% of the IRA" was wrong — the base is total regular income, including local taxes and not only the IRA/NTA (corrected in the 2026-08-26 verification. Source: the LawPhil text of ra_10121_2010)
OCD	Office of Civil Defense	民間防衛局	—	The secretariat of the NDRRMC
TCWS	Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal	熱帯低気圧風信号	—	1 (39–61 km/h, 36 hours ahead) / 2 (62–88, 24 hours) / 3 (89–117, 18 hours) / 4 (118–184, 12 hours) / 5 (185 km/h or more, 12 hours) (PAGASA, retrieved 2026-08-26)
TD / TS / STS / TY / STY	Tropical Depression / Storm / Severe Tropical Storm / Typhoon / Super Typhoon	熱帯低気圧の階級	Bagyo (typhoons generally)	注A different scale from TCWS (→ 1-5)
PAR	Philippine Area of Responsibility	フィリピン責任領域	—	On entering the PAR a Philippine name is assigned. Give it alongside the international name
—	habagat / amihan	南西モンスーン／北東モンスーン	Habagat／Amihan	The names for the wet and dry seasons. Used as such in the press
—	storm surge	高潮	Daluyong ng bagyo	The principal cause of death in Yolanda (Haiyan, 2013)
—	earthquake / volcano / flood / landslide	地震／火山／洪水／地滑り	Lindol／Bulkan／Baha／Pagguho ng lupa	—
—	alert level	警戒レベル	—	For volcanoes, PHIVOLCS levels 0–5
—	state of calamity	災害状態宣言	—	A declaration enables price freezes (RA 7581) and flexible use of funds
PSF	People's Survival Fund	人民生存基金	—	→ chapter 10

17. Culture and religion

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
NCCA	National Commission for Culture and the Arts	国家文化芸術委員会	—	The core of cultural policy
NHCP	National Historical Commission of the Philippines	国立歴史委員会	—	Designates historic sites and sets the official view of history
NCMF	National Commission on Muslim Filipinos	ムスリム・フィリピン人国家委員会	—	Its enabling law is RA 9997. RA 12304 (2025-09-18, "An Act Providing for Equitable Access to Shari'ah Courts") added to its legal bureau the role of filing pleadings on parties' behalf. 注That statute's title does not say it amends RA 9997, so do not call it "an act amending RA 9997" (second verification, 2026-08-26. Source: the LawPhil 2025 RA index)
NCIP	National Commission on Indigenous Peoples	先住民国家委員会	—	Responsible for FPIC and CADTs
KWF	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino	フィリピン語委員会	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino	The name of the body is itself Filipino (RA 7104)
GAMABA	Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan	人間国宝	Manlilikha ng Bayan	RA 7355. The "national living treasures" of traditional crafts and performing arts
—	National Artist	国民芸術家	Pambansang Alagad ng Sining	Elevated to an order of merit by EO 236, s. 2003
CCP	Cultural Center of the Philippines	フィリピン文化センター	—	EO 30, s. 1966 (founded 1966-06-25). 注"September 1966" is wrong. The main building was inaugurated 1969-09-08
FSL	Filipino Sign Language	フィリピン手話	—	Declared the national sign language by RA 11106 (2018-10-30)
—	Filipino / Tagalog	フィリピノ語／タガログ語	Filipino／Tagalog	注They are not the same. Filipino is the national language; Tagalog is the language it was based on. Standardize the language code on `tl` or `fil`
—	Cebuano / Bisaya	セブアノ語／ビサヤ語	Sinugbuanong Binisaya	Among the largest by number of speakers. The code is `ceb`
—	fiesta	町祭り	Pista	Centered on the patron saint's feast day
—	bayanihan	相互扶助	Bayanihan	Also used as the popular name of statutes (Bayanihan 1 and 2)
—	Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)	イグレシア・ニ・クリスト	Iglesia ni Cristo	Known for bloc voting. Founded in 1914
—	El Shaddai	エル・シャダイ	—	A Catholic charismatic movement
—	Roman Catholic / CBCP	カトリック／司教協議会	—	CBCP = the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. Its president is Gilbert Armea Garcera (Archbishop of Lipa, from December 2025), with Julius Tonel as vice-president (added in the 2026-08-26 verification. Sources replaced with primary ones: the official CBCP news site cbcpnews.net, "Philippine bishops elect Archbishop Garcera of Lipa as next president" (elected 2025-07-05 at the 130th plenary assembly in Anda, Bohol) / the same, "Archbishop Garcera assumes CBCP presidency" (took office 2025-12-01, a two-year term to 2027-11-30, renewable once) / Philstar 2025-12-01). 注Do not cite the former president, Pablo Virgilio David (Bishop of Kalookan and cardinal), as the incumbent. Always date an office-holder
—	Eid'l Fitr / Eid'l Adha	イード・アル＝フィトル／アドハー	—	Regular national holidays under RA 9177 and others
—	Ramadan	ラマダン	Ramadan	—
—	Holy Week	聖週間	Semana Santa	Business stops nationwide
—	church / faith / God	教会／信仰／神	Simbahan／Pananampalataya／Diyos	—

18. The military

Abbreviation / original	Official English name	Japanese	Filipino	Notes
AFP	Armed Forces of the Philippines	フィリピン国軍	Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas	Active strength 154,870 (2025). 注 Primary source not reached (as of 2026-08-26) — the published originals of the AFP and the DND could not be reached. The figure is retained but should not be cited on its own
DND	Department of National Defense	国防省	Kagawaran ng Tanggulang Pambansa	Superior to the AFP
PA / PN / PAF	Philippine Army / Navy / Air Force	陸軍／海軍／空軍	—	The Philippine Marine Corps is part of the PN
—	Unified / Area Commands	統合コマンド	—	Seven: NOLCOM, NCRCOM, SOLCOM, VISCOM, WESCOM (the west and the South China Sea), EASTMINCOM, WESTMINCOM
—	Chief of Staff, AFP	国軍参謀総長	—	RA 11939 (2023-05-17) set a fixed three-year term. The "revolving door" no longer applies after 2023
Re-Horizon 3	Re-Horizon 3	再ホライズン3	—	Approved January 2024, about US$35 billion over ten years. 注Writing "2023–2028" is half inaccurate (it was redesigned into a ten-year plan in 2024)
—	AFP Modernization Act (RA 7898 → RA 10349)	軍近代化法	—	The modernization allocation was ₱50 billion in 2025 and ₱90 billion in 2026. 注Most of the AFP budget (about ₱395.9 billion in 2026) is personnel and pensions
CAFGU	Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit	市民軍地理部隊	—	EO 264, s. 1987
PNP	Philippine National Police	国家警察	Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas	RA 6975 (approved 1990-12-13) merged the PC and the INP and separated the police from the military. 注The frequently seen "29 January 1991" is not the approval date of the law but the date the PNP was activated. The old statement has been corrected (2026-08-26 verification. Source: the LawPhil text, "Approved: December 13, 1990")
PDEA	Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency	麻薬取締庁	—	RA 9165
NTF-ELCAC	National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict	共産主義武装紛争終結国家タスクフォース	—	EO 70, s. 2018. 注The center of "red-tagging" criticism
RAA	Reciprocal Access Agreement	円滑化協定	—	The framework for reciprocal visits of forces between Japan and the Philippines
VFA / EDCA	Visiting Forces Agreement / Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement	訪問米軍地位協定／防衛協力強化協定	—	The backbone of relations with the United States
—	Self-Reliant Defense Posture (RA 12024)	自立国防態勢強化法	—	2024-10-08. Domestic development and manufacture of defense materiel
—	West Philippine Sea	西フィリピン海	Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas	The official name for the part of the South China Sea within the Philippine EEZ. Do not mechanically substitute "South China Sea"
KIG	Kalayaan Island Group	カラヤーン諸島群	—	EO 111 (2026-03-26) adopted standardized Filipino names for 131 features
—	Philippine Maritime Zones Act (RA 12064)	海域法	—	Domesticated internal waters, the territorial sea, the EEZ and the continental shelf in line with the 2016 arbitral award (2024-11-07, effective 11-28)
—	army / soldier / police / war	軍／兵士／警察／戦争	Hukbo／Sundalo／Pulis／Digmaan	—

19. How to write statutory designations and dates

Symbol	Original	Japanese	Issuing body	Force
RA	Republic Act	共和国法	Congress plus the President	A statute. As of August 2026 numbering has reached 12322
CA	Commonwealth Act	連邦法	The National Assembly of the Commonwealth period	Statutes (1–733)
BP	Batas Pambansa	国民議会法	The Batasang Pambansa (1978–86)	Statutes (numbered "Blg.")
PD	Presidential Decree	大統領令	Issued by Marcos Sr. under martial law	Equal in rank to a statute (1–2036)
EO	Executive Order	行政命令	The President	Subordinate to statute. Numbering resets with each president
AO / PP	Administrative Order / Proclamation	行政命令／布告	The President	Internal to the executive / designation of areas and the like
DAO	Department Administrative Order	省令	The DENR, DTI and others	注Two formats coexist: year-serial (DAO 2003-30) and serial-year (DAO 171-2022)
DO	Department Order	省令	DOLE, DepEd, DOTr and others	DO 174-17 / No. ○, s. 20XX
DC	Department Circular	省通達	The DOE and others	Long numbers such as DC 2024-06-0018
MC	Memorandum Circular	覚書回覧	The SEC, LTFRB, NTC, DILG and others	Each agency has its own system
RR / RMC / RMO	Revenue Regulations / Memorandum Circular / Order	歳入規則・通達・命令	The BIR	The operative detail of tax practice
IRR	Implementing Rules and Regulations	施行細則	The responsible department	Reading only the statute leads you astray in practice

注 The traps of dates

#	Trap	The correct understanding
1	注 There are five kinds of date	① passage by Congress ② signature by the President ③ the date it lapsed into law without signature ④ publication in the Official Gazette ⑤ effectivity (usually 15 days after publication)
2	注 The year in the short title differs from the year of approval	RA 9003 is "of 2000" but approval was 2001-01-26. RA 10742 (the SK Reform Act) is "of 2015" but was approved 2016-01-15 (added in the 2026-08-26 verification)
2-b	注 Do not confuse the approval date with the date an institution began	RA 6975 was approved 1990-12-13 (the frequently cited 1991-01-29 is the PNP's activation date). RA 8526 (the cityhood of Valenzuela) was approved 1998-02-14 (1998-12-30 is the date of ratification by plebiscite). RA 6426 (the Foreign Currency Deposit Act) was approved 1972-04-04 ("1974" is wrong). All were confirmed against the LawPhil texts on 2026-08-26
3	注 Do not write "signed" where a law "lapsed into law"	RA 11898 (2022-07-23), RA 12027 (2024-10-10) and RA 12234 (2025-08-24) are such cases
4	注 There are cases where the index and the text diverge	EO 110 is indexed on LawPhil as "January 24, 2026," but the signature line of the text reads 24 March 2026. Look at the text, not the index
5	注 "A law was enacted" and "the system started working" are different	The IRR lags by months or more than a year
6	注 The numbering appears to skip	Large numbers of local holiday acts, school-establishment acts and citizenship acts are interleaved. Do not reason from an apparent gap

20. Common rules for writing figures

#	Rule
1	Always state the indicator for "number X in the world" or "the largest." If it cannot be corroborated, write "unconfirmed"
2	Distinguish estimates from definitive figures, and government statistics from industry claims
3	Where an old figure is in circulation, set old and new side by side with a 注 (e.g. a minimum wage of ₱366 → already updated by BARMM-05, with a floor of ₱401 / MRFs 11,637 → more than 20,000)
4	Attach a "year" and a "source name" to every figure
5	注State the scope of aggregation (e.g. whether a transport budget is "the DOTr alone" or "DOTr + PNR + LRTA")
6	注Do not mix numbers on a register with numbers actually mobilizable (e.g. reserves "about 1.2 million" versus "1.8 million")

21. Planned additions

A table standardizing variant renderings of principal figures (incumbent cabinet members, legislators, business leaders)
Rules for the Japanese katakana rendering of place names (provinces, cities, barangays)
The official names of conglomerates and business groups and the terminology of their holding structures
A correspondence table of Philippine and international typhoon names (the double naming of a single typhoon)
Settling the official Filipino names of each department against primary sources (at present it depends on secondary sources and many cells are blank)
Accounting and audit terminology (AFS / GIS / PFRS) and insurance terminology

Verification record (2026-08-26)

The full verification record for the "four index files" (Index of Major Laws / Complete List of Administrative Divisions / Index of Persons and Organizations / Glossary and Japanese–English Comparison) is consolidated in the "Verification record (2026-08-26)" section at the end of the representative file 04_情報集積/主要法令インデックス.

Only the main results concerning this file are repeated here.

Category	Content
Correction	Chapter 13: LTFRB = Land Transportation "Franchising" and Regulatory Board (the old "Franchise" was wrong)
Correction	Chapter 18: RA 6975 was approved 1990-12-13 ("1991-01-29" is the PNP's activation date)
✅ Corroborated	RA 12022 = the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act (nothing to do with mining) / the mining fiscal regime = RA 12253 — the contrast drawn in chapter 1-2 is correct. It was also settled from the originals that jurisdiction under RA 12022 lies with the CTA, and that the approval dates are 2024-09-26 and 2025-09-05
✅ Corroborated	Chapter 9: the signature line of EO 110 reads 2026-03-24 (LawPhil's index entry "January 24, 2026" is a misprint), re-confirmed against the text. In the same index EO 108 is dated 26 January, which also contradicts the ordering
✅ Corroborated	Chapter 19: "RA numbering has reached 12322 as of August 2026," confirmed in LawPhil's 2026 RA index
✅ Corroborated	Chapter 12: the NFA has no import authority — the phrase "with the exception of the NFA" in Section 6 of RA 12078 confirmed in the original
Figures strengthened	Chapter 12: RCEF went from ₱10 billion to ₱30 billion a year under RA 12078 and was extended to 2031 (confirmed in the original). "₱10 billion a year" describes the position before December 2024
Reconciled	Chapter 1-3: HUC/ICC's "33 + 5" and "34 + 4" agree at 38 independent cities. The difference is only the classification of Naga City
Newly added	Chapter 1-3 now includes, among "terms easily misread," the two series for the 2024 population of Region IX and BARMM (the PSA published figures vs. the values redistributed after EO 91), and the fact that provincial populations include HUCs
Newly added	Chapter 17: CBCP president Gilbert Armea Garcera (from December 2025)
注 Flagged	Chapter 11: EO 122, s. 2026 is not in LawPhil = the text is unverified (only the PCO announcement and press reporting support it)
Still unconfirmed	The official PMRC site (TLS defect) / the RCOA threshold / YAKAP's official English name / the originals for the 19 Specified Skilled Worker fields and the 17 Employment for Skill Development fields / the BSP policy rate of 4.75%

Second-round verification (2026-08-26, additional)

Category	Content	Source
Correction	Chapter 16, the NDRRMC: "the Local DRRM Fund = 5% of the IRA" → "not less than 5% of the estimated revenue from regular sources" (RA 10121, Section 21). The base is not the IRA/NTA alone	The LawPhil text of ra_10121_2010
Addition	Chapter 1-3, HUC/ICC: promotion to HUC is not completed by a presidential proclamation alone; ratification by plebiscite is required. Naga City (Proclamation 1267 / 2026-05-26) and Pagadian City (a 2021 proclamation) are both unratified = their current classifications are ICC and component city. This is the substantive cause of "HUC 33 vs 34." Naga City's ratifying plebiscite is on 2026-11-02 (with the barangay and SK elections; COMELEC Minute Resolution No. 26-0526)	Sources replaced with primary ones: PIA, "PBBM proclaims Naga City as highly-urbanized city" / the official Naga City site www2.naga.gov.ph / PNA, "Comelec OKs request to synchronize Naga plebiscite, BSKE" / Philstar (2026-05-31). 注Pagadian's proclamation number and date are primary-source-unreached
Addition	Chapter 1-3, "Provincial population and HUCs": the divergence in rankings made explicit — with HUCs the most populous province is Cebu, without them Cavite (corresponding to the correction of the contradiction in the Complete List of Administrative Divisions). (Corrected in the 2026-08-26 source-hygiene pass) Because PSA's own provincial tabulation excludes HUCs, the "most populous province" on the PSA basis is Cavite. Cebu's 5,228,149 is the province plus its three HUCs (Cebu City 965k / Lapu-Lapu 498k / Mandaue 364k); the province alone is about 3.4 million	SunStar Cebu reporting PSA's "Highlights of the Region VII (Central Visayas) Population 2024" (published 2025-07-17) / citypopulation.de. 注The PSA original returned 403 and was not reached
✅ Corroborated	Chapter 2-2: 42,010 barangays (the Q1 2026 PSGC = 2026-04-13) — 注it was also confirmed that 42,011 is the figure in the Q4 2024 edition (2025-01-30). (Updated 2026-08-26) PSA published the second-quarter edition 〈as of 2026-06-30〉 on 2026-07-13, so the first-quarter edition is no longer the latest	PSA's published "First Quarter 2026 PSGC Updates" (2026-04-13) and "Second Quarter 2026 PSGC Updates" (2026-07-13) = only the fact of publication is confirmed. 注The figures themselves are primary-source-unreached (as of 2026-08-26) — psa.gov.ph returns 403
✅ Corroborated	Chapter 2-2, BARMM and Sulu: confirmed in the original that Section 3 of EO 91 (2025-07-30) states "The Province of Sulu is hereby declared a part of Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula)."	LawPhil eo_91_2025
✅ Corroborated	Chapter 2-2, NIR = RA 12000, approved 2024-06-11, comprising Negros Occidental (including Bacolod City), Negros Oriental and Siquijor. The law designates no single regional center (Section 4 = dispersal by function)	The LawPhil text of ra_12000_2024
✅ Corroborated	Chapters 1-1 and 19: RA numbering reaches 12322 as of August 2026, and the 2025 EOs run 82 to 107 (ratifying the first round's judgment that EO 264, s. 2025 is outside the system)	The LawPhil 2025 EO index
Dual account resolved	The composition of the House is settled at 254 district + 64 party-list = 318 ("255 district + 63 party-list" could not be corroborated in a primary source and is withdrawn)	The official House site congress.gov.ph, "House Members – 20th Congress" (318 seats in all, retrieved 2026-08-26)

Discipline: no access whatsoever was made to the DENR, EMB, NSWMC or DOTr domains (including via proxies). The retrieval terms at the end of chapter 1-5 remain fully in force. 注 In this verification search reached its session limit, so from part way through, confirmation was made only by retrieving specified URLs. No negative conclusion in this document rests on the ground that "a search found nothing."

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