Effective date: 11 September 2026
Last updated: 11 September 2026
CivilLaw.PH is an independent legal-information website. This policy explains what personal information the site collects, why it is collected, how long it is kept, who it is shared with, and the rights you have over it under Republic Act No. 10173, the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and its implementing rules.
The short version: we do not sell personal data, we do not run user accounts, and we do not need to know who you are for you to read a guide.
What we collect
Information you give us
If you write to the editors – for example to report a correction or ask a question about a guide – we receive whatever you choose to include: your name, your email address and the content of your message. Where comments are open on a page, WordPress records the name, email address, comment text, IP address and browser user agent you submit, and that information is passed to the Akismet anti-spam service to determine whether the comment is spam.
Please do not send us confidential documents, identification numbers, or the details of a live dispute. We are not your lawyer, nothing you send is privileged, and we do not want to hold sensitive material about your case.
Information collected automatically
Like nearly every website, our hosting produces server logs containing the IP address, date and time, page requested, referring page and browser user agent of each request. These are used for security, abuse prevention and diagnosing faults.
We use Google Analytics and Google Search Console, connected through the Google Site Kit plugin, to understand which guides are read, how readers arrive, and which search queries lead here. This produces aggregated statistics. Where analytics cookies are set, they may record a randomised identifier, approximate location derived from IP address, device and browser type, and the pages visited. We do not use this data to identify individual readers, and we do not build advertising profiles.
Cookies
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. This site may use:
- Strictly necessary cookies – needed for the site to function and, where you are an administrator, to keep you signed in.
- Preference cookies – for example to remember a consent choice, or comment details if you leave one.
- Analytics cookies – set by Google Analytics as described above.
You can refuse or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking analytics cookies does not affect your ability to read anything on this site.
Why we process personal information
- To operate, secure and maintain the website.
- To answer messages and assess correction reports against the controlling sources.
- To understand, in aggregate, which guides are useful so that we can improve and expand them.
- To prevent spam, abuse and attacks.
- To comply with legal obligations.
Our lawful bases under the Data Privacy Act are your consent, where consent is asked for; the legitimate interests of operating and securing an information website, balanced against your rights; and compliance with legal obligations.
Who we share it with
We do not sell personal information and we do not share it for third-party marketing. Information is handled by the service providers that make the site work, each processing only what it needs:
- Our web host, which stores the site and its server logs.
- Google, for Analytics and Search Console.
- Automattic, for the Akismet spam filter, where comments are submitted.
- Email providers, where you write to us.
Some of these providers are located outside the Philippines, so information may be processed abroad. We may also disclose information where we are legally required to, or to establish or defend a legal claim.
How long we keep it
Server logs are kept for a short operational period. Analytics data is retained according to the retention setting configured in Google Analytics. Correspondence is kept for as long as it is useful for the correction record or for reference, and is deleted when it no longer is. Approved comments and their metadata remain with the page unless removed.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS and we apply reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect the limited information we hold. No website can promise absolute security, and we do not.
Your rights as a data subject
Under the Data Privacy Act you have the right to be informed, to object to processing, to access your personal data, to have inaccurate data corrected, to have data blocked or erased in the circumstances the law provides, to data portability where applicable, to be indemnified for damage from false or unauthorised use, and to lodge a complaint with the National Privacy Commission.
To exercise any of these rights, write to the editors describing the request. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request about specific data.
Children
This site is written for a general adult audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a child.
External links
Our guides link to government sites, the courts, registries and legal repositories so that readers can verify the law for themselves. Those sites have their own privacy practices, which we do not control.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site changes or as the law requires. The effective date at the top shows when it was last revised, and material changes will be reflected there.
See also our Terms of Use and Disclaimer.