(4) "Local Government" refers to the political subdivisions established in the autonomous regional government in accordance with the Constitution and the Organic Act. The Regional Assembly can create, divide, merge, abolish, or substantially alter boundaries of cities, municipalities, or barangay in accordance with the criteria laid down by MMA Act 25 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of the ARMM, subject to the approval by the majority of the votes cast in the plebiscite in the political units directly affected; (5) "Agency of the Government" refers to any of the various units of the Regional Government, including a department, bureau, office, instrumentality, or government-owned or controlled corporations, a local government or a distinct unit therein; (6) "National agency" refers to a unit of the National Government; (7) "Regional agency" refers to a unit of the regional government; (8) "Local agency" refers to a local government or a distinct unit therein; (9) "Department" refers to an executive department created by law and/or devolved by the National Government. It includes any instrumentality, as herein defined, having or assigned the rank of a department, regardless of its name or designation; (10) "Bureau" refers to any principal subdivision of a department or an office named as bureau under the Office of the Regional Governor; (11) "Office" refers, within the framework of governmental organization, to any major functional unit of the Regional Government or its departments. It may also refer to any position held or occupied by individual persons whose functions are defined by law; (12) "Instrumentality" refers to any agency of the Regional Government, not integrated within the department framework vested within special functions or jurisdiction by law, endowed with some if not all corporate powers, administering special funds, and enjoying operational autonomy, usually through a charter. This term includes regulatory agencies, chartered institutions and government-owned or controlled corporations; (13) "Regulatory agency" refers to any agency expressly vested with jurisdiction to regulate, administer or adjudicate matters affecting substantial rights and interests of private persons, the principal powers of which are exercised by a collective body, such as a commission, board or council; (14) "Chartered institution" refers to any agency organized or operating under a special charter, and vested by law with functions relating to specific constitutional policies or objectives. This term includes the state universities and colleges; 3