Traditional units of measurement in Philippines
Southeast Asia · 3 documented units · reviewed 2026-07-31
Quick answer
Philippine agriculture trades rice by the cavan, a volume-derived sack whose mass depends on the commodity — roughly 50 kg for milled rice, 44 kg for palay.
How measurement works in Philippines
The cavan (kaban) is the dominant unit of Philippine grain trade. It began as a volume measure and became a commodity sack, so its mass is defined by what is inside it: milled rice is conventionally 50 kg per cavan, unhusked palay closer to 44 kg, and maize different again.
Government procurement and the National Food Authority quote farmgate prices per kilogram, but farmers, traders and millers still negotiate per cavan, so almost every Philippine rice price conversion crosses this boundary.
Spanish-era area units (quiñón, balita, loán) survive in older titles, while pikul and tahil persist in trade with Malaysia, Indonesia and southern China.
mass units of Philippines
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavan | 1 Cavan = 50 kilogram | agriculture, trade | Cavan → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Pikul/Pecul | 1 Pikul/Pecul = 60.479 kilogram | trade, agriculture | Pikul/Pecul → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Tahil/Tael | 1 Tahil/Tael = 0.0378 kilogram | jewellery, precious-metals | Tahil/Tael → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
Before you convert
- A cavan is not a mass unit. Always state the commodity and moisture basis before converting to kilograms.
- Cavan of palay and cavan of milled rice differ by roughly 12% — using one figure for both misprices an entire harvest.
Sources
- Philippine Statistics Authority — agricultural conversion factors
- National Food Authority procurement standards
See our methodology and data provenance pages, or review published corrections.