Military ranks of the Philippines

The following list presents the ranks and insignia of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, one of Asia's oldest armed services.

Introduction

The current Philippine military ranks are inspired partially by the very first military insignia used by the military forces during the Philippine Revolution of 1896 and the Philippine–American War, and the insignia used by the Philippine Constabulary raised in 1902 during the final days of the Philippine–American War, which was basically the same style of insignia used by the United States Army at that time. Elements of both the US army ranks and the old Philippine Army appear in the current ranks; this was reflected at the general officers insignia and enlisted ranks that resembled those of the US military (the silver stars used by generals and admirals were used by field grade officers in the First Republic), the field officers [like colonels], whose insignia are suns, use those insignia used by general officers of the Revolutionary Army. Company rank insignia[i.e. captain], consisting of a silver triangle, are a recent creation. Both company grade and field grade officer insignia have the baybayin letter ka ( K) in the middle, another throwback to the days of the war for independence, and even in the medal used by second-level members of the Katipunan during meetings, in which the letter is in the center.

Revolutionary Army ranks

These rank insignia for the nascent army were created in late 1896, replacing the earlier rank insignia used by the Katipuneros containing the letter K (ka). Ranks were then worn on the sleeves of all uniforms.[1]

Shoulder epaulette insignia was introduced in late 1898, some time after the declaration of Philippine independence. It is worthy of mention that the insignia for the rank of Second Lieutenant and Major has three silver and gold stars, respectively, and the number of stars are reduced when promoted.

Officer ranks
Revolutionary Army ranks Tagalog Name Spanish Name Sleeve insignia Shoulder epaulette insignia
(1899–1901)
Minister Marshal Ministrong Mariskal Ministro Mariscal
General Heneral General
Lieutenant General Tenyente Heneral Teniente General
Major General Heneral ng Dibisyon General de División
Brigadier General Heneral ng Brigada General de Brigada
Colonel Koronel Coronel
Lieutenant Colonel Tenyente Koronel Teniente Coronel
Major Komandante Comandante
Captain Kapitán Capitán
Lieutenant Tenyente Teniente
Alférez

Second lieutenant

(putative)

 Alpéres

Ikalawang Tenyente

 Alférez

Segundo Teniente

Revolutionary Army enlisted ranks
Revolutionary Army ranks Tagalog Name Spanish Name Sleeve insignia
Sergeant Sarhento Sargento
Corporal Kabo Cabo
Civil Guardsman First Class
Civil Guardsman

Present rank insignia of the Philippine armed forces

The current AFP insignia used today are a modification of the system first used in 1954–55 as part of the Filipinization of the military forces by then President and former Secretary of National Defense Ramon Magsaysay, ending years of the US-styled rank system in place since 1935. Prior to that period, the Philippines used the same rank insignia of the United States Armed Forces with modifications for Philippine conditions.[2][3]

Officer ranks
Officer Ranks (English) Officer ranks (Spanish) Battledress collar insignia
(Army, Air Force and Marines)		 Full dress shoulder insignia
(Army and Air Force)		 Army Service dress shoulder insignia Air Force Service dress shoulder insignia Navy white dress shoulder insignia
 Navy full black dress sleeve insignia
 Navy and Marine Corps service dress collar insignia
General/Admiral General/Almirante
Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral Teniente General/Vicealmirante
Major General/Rear Admiral General de Division/Contraalmirante
Brigadier General/Commodore General de Brigada/Comodoro de Armada
Colonel/Captain Coronel/Capitan de Navio
Lieutenant Colonel/Commander Teniente Colonel'/'Comandante
Major/Lieutenant Commander Comandante/Teniente Comandante
Captain/Lieutenant Senior Grade Capitan/Teniente de Navio
First Lieutenant/Lieutenant Junior Grade Teniente Primero/Teniente de Fragata
Second Lieutenant/Ensign Teniente Segundo/Alferez de Navio

Enlisted personnel

Note: currently senior NCO rank insignia for personnel promoted recently to these ranks in the Philippine Marine Corps, and since 2019 the enlisted and NCO personnel of the Philippine Military Academy Band sport US style enlisted rank insignia.

Army and Marines
Ground forces ranks (English) Army and Marine Corps battledress collar
and Army service dress sleeve insignia		 Marine Corps service dress sleeve insignia
First Chief Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant
Senior Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
Technical Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Private First Class
Private

Air Force

Until the early years of the 21st century the Air Forces sported the same enlisted insignia as the other services, its current enlisted rank insignia mirrors that of the United States Air Force, with the use of the national diamond roundel.

Air force ranks (English) Battledress collar insignia Service dress sleeve insignia Full dress sleeve insignia
First Chief Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant
Senior Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
Technical Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Airman First Class
Airman Second Class
Airman
Naval enlisted ratings (English) Collar insignia Sleeve insignia (Navy) Sleeve insignia (Coast Guard)
First Master Chief Petty Officer
Master Chief Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
Petty officer, first class
Petty officer, second class
Petty officer, third class
Seaman First Class
Seaman Second Class
Apprentice Seaman

See also

References
  1. Alvarez, Santiago V. (1992). The Katipunan and the Revolution: Memoirs of a General : with the Original Tagalog Text. Ateneo University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-971-550-077-7.
  2. Shoulder Ranks (Officers), The Philippine Army.(archived from the original Archived August 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine on July 1, 2012)
  3. Philippine Military Rank Insignia, Globalsecurity.org.
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