Military ranks of the Philippines

The Military ranks of Philippines are the military insignia used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Introduction

The current Philippine military ranks are inspired partially by the 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.

Current ranks

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.^[1]

Officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Philippine Army[2] v t e
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Philippine Air Force[3] v t e
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Philippine Navy[4] v t e
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant junior grade			Ensign
Philippine Marine Corps[4] v t e
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Philippine Coast Guard[5] v t e
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers

Enlisted personnel ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Philippine Army[2] v t e
	Chief master sergeant			Senior master sergeant			Master sergeant		Technical sergeant		Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal						Private first class						Private
Philippine Air Force[3] v t e
	Chief master sergeant			Senior master sergeant			Master sergeant		Technical sergeant		Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Airman first class						Airman second class						Airman
Philippine Navy[4] v t e
	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
Philippine Marine Corps[4] v t e
	Chief master sergeant			Senior master sergeant			Master sergeant		Technical sergeant		Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal						Private first class						Private
Philippine Coast Guard[5] v t e
	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						Seaman apprentice
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

Senior appointments

Rank group	Senior appointment
Philippine Army
		First chief master sergeant
Philippine Air Force
		First chief master sergeant
Philippine Navy[4]
	First command master chief petty officer	Command master chief petty officer
Philippine Marine Corps[4]
	First command sergeant major	Command sergeant major

Historic ranks

Revolutionary Army ranks

Main article: Philippine Revolutionary Army

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.^[6]

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.

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Shoulder insignia[7][8] (1899–1901)
Sleeve insignia
English	Generalissimo/Minister marshal		Captain general		Lieutenant general		Divisional general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Commandant		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Tagalog	Heneralisimo/Ministrong mariskal		Kapitán heneral		Tenyente Heneral		Komandante Heneral		Brigada Heneral		Koronel		Tenyente koronel		Komandante		Kapitán		Tenyente			Alpéres
Spanish[8]	Generalísimo/Ministro mariscal		Capitán general		Teniente general		General de división		General de brigada		Coronel		Teniente coronel		Comandante		Capitán		1er teniente			2° teniente

Enlisted Personnel

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Sleeve insignia
English											Sergeant																Corporal		Private						Civil guardsman first class	Civil guardsman
Tagalog											Sarhento																Kabo		Pribato
Spanish											Sargento																Cabo		Privato

Rank insignia during the Commonwealth and immediate independence period (until 1954)

Army and Air Force

The Philippine Army during the Commonwealth period as well as after independence - as well as the Air Force beginning 1947 - used essentially the same rank insignias as the United States Army.^{[citation needed]} The main difference is the addition of a rank named third lieutenant and the five-star rank of Field Marshal.^[9]

Officer

10th Grade	9th Grade	8th Grade	7th Grade	6th Grade	5th Grade	4th Grade	3rd Grade	2nd Grade	1st Grade
General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier General	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
GEN	LTG	MG	BG	COL	LTC	MAJ	CPT	1LT	2LT

Enlisted

^{[10][11][12][failed verification]}

US DoD Pay Grade	E-9				E-8			E-7			E-6		E-5		E-4		E-3		E-2	E-1
From 1935	No equivalent																			No insignia
								Master sergeant			First sergeant	Technical sergeant	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal		Private first class	Private
September 1942	No equivalent																			No insignia
								First sergeant	Master sergeant		Technical sergeant		Staff sergeant	Technician 3rd grade	Sergeant	Technician 4th grade	Corporal	Technician 5th grade	Private first class	Private
August 1948	No equivalent																		No insignia	No insignia
								First sergeant Combat and noncombat	Master sergeant Combat and noncombat		Sergeant first class Combat and noncombat		Sergeant Combat and noncombat		Corporal Combat and noncombat		Private first class Combat and noncombat		Private	Recruit
February 1951	No equivalent																		No insignia	No insignia
								First sergeant	Master sergeant		Sergeant first class		Sergeant		Corporal		Private first class		Private	Recruit

See also

• Cadet rank in the Philippines
• Armed Forces of the Philippines

References

1. Miller, Alen G. (1993). "National Security". In Ronald E., Dolan (ed.). Philippines: a country study. Area Handbook (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 272. LCCN 92039812. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
2. "Ranks and insignia". army.mil.ph. Philippine Army. Archived from the original on April 28, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
3. "Ranks". paf.mil.ph. Philippine Air Force. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
4. "Philippine Navy Ranks". Philippine Navy. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
5. "Philippine Coast Guard Basic Training Manual". Annex D-E: Philippine Coast Guard Education Training and Doctrine Command. 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
6. 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.
7. "Infographic: Army of the First Philippine Republic". malacanang.gov.ph. Presidential Museum and Library. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
8. Gobierno Revolucionario (1898). "The laws of the first Philippine Republic (the laws of Malolos) 1898-1899". quod.lib.umich.edu (in Spanish). pp. 70–71. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
9. "Commonwealth Act No. 1 | GOVPH".
10. "U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry-History of Enlisted Ranks". Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
11. Broderick, Justin T. (2013). "Timeline of U.S. Army Enlisted Ranks, 1920 to Present". uniform-reference.net. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
12. "History of U.S. Army Enlisted Grades". The Institute of Heraldry. Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Retrieved February 11, 2021.