A new order has been issued by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo that the acronym RP--which is the acronym for the Republic of the Philippines--will no longer be used when referring to the Philippines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and its Foreign Services Posts (FSPs) will now begin to use the International Organization Standardization (ISO) initials PH or PHL in accordance with DFA Department Order No. 16-10.

This is line with the Philippine membership with the ISO, as well as to avoid the ambiguity and confusion with the use of the initials RP.

"The long standing use of the initials RP is not in accordance with ISO codes, leading to ambiguous initials that can also refer to other countries," the DFA explained in a statement released on Thursday.