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. The ranks used by these forces were designed by Americans under the tutelage of Captain Henry T. Allen, the "father of the Philippine Constabulary". The original Philippine military ranks are those actually worn by the Philippine Revolutionary Army, the nemesis of the Philippine Constabulary. The Philippine Constabulary is one of the predecessors of the present day Armed Forces of the Philippines. 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 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 were the ranks used from late 1896 to 1898. Ranks were then wore on the sleeves of all uniforms. New rank insignia for the nascent army were created in late 1898.

Officer ranks

Revolutionary Army ranks Tagalog Name Spanish Name Sleeve insignia
Minister
Marshal		 Ministrong Mariskal Ministro Mariscal
Captain General Kapitan Heneral Capitán general
Lieutenant General Tenyente Heneral Teniente General
Major General Magat Heneral General de Division
Brigadier General Brigadyer Heneral General de Brigada
Colonel Koronel Coronel
Lieutenant Colonel Tiniente Koronel Teniente Coronel
Major Komandante Comandante
Captain Kapitan Capitan
Lieutenant Tiniente Alferez

Revolutionary Army enlisted ranks

Air force ranks Tagalog Name Spanish Name Collar insignia Sleeve insignia
Sergeant Sarhento Sargento
Corporal Kabo Cabo

Army and Marine Corps ranks

These are the ranks used by the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps. For officers, Army shoulder insignia are in green on duty dresses and blue and gold on full dresses and Marine Corps shoulder insignia, dark blue on all uniforms. General officer epaulettes are gold on the full dress and in the service color in the duty and everyday dress uniforms.

Officer ranks

Ground forces ranks Tagalog Name Spanish Name Battledress collar insignia
(Army and Marines)		 Army Shoulder insignia
(Full dress)		 Army Shoulder insignia
(Service dress)		 Marine Corps insignia
(Full-shoulder and service-collar dress)
General Heneral General
Lieutenant General Tenyente Heneral Teniente General
Major General Magat Heneral General de Division
Brigadier General Brigadyer Heneral General de Brigada
Colonel Lakan Coronel
Lieutenant Colonel Kalakan Teniente Coronel
Major Magat Comandante
Captain Kamagat Capitan
First Lieutenant Pulimagat Teniente
Second Lieutenant Himagat Alferez

Enlisted Ranks

Army enlisted ranks are in green while those of the Marines are in red with yellow piping. While the Army's enlisted rank insignia are similar to those used by the United States Army in the First World War (without the curve), those used by the Philippine Marine Corps today mirror those used by the United States Marine Corps but with a difference: Master Sergeants and above have special insignia in the chevrons, in recent times they are also the only ones sporting the curved sleeve insignia.

Ground forces ranks Tagalog Name Spanish Name Collar and sleeve insignia (Army) Collar and sleeve insignia (Marine Corps)
First Chief Master Sergeant Unang Tsip Master Sarhento Sargento Maestre Jefe de Primera
Chief Master Sergeant Tsip Master Sarhento Sargento Maestre Jefe
Senior Master Sergeant Senyor Master Sarhento Sargento Maestre Mayor
Master Sergeant Master Sarhento Sargento Maestre
Technical Sergeant Sargento Técnico
Staff Sergeant Sargento del Personal
Sergeant Sarhento Sargento
Corporal Kabo Cabo
Private First Class Praybayt ng Unang Klase Soldado de primera
Private Praybayt Soldado

The top FCMS of the Army or the Marines holds the Command Sergeant Major of the Armed Forces of the Philippines appointment.

Air Force ranks

These are the ranks used by the Philippine Air Force. Officer ranks are in air force blue on all shoulder board epaulettes in all uniforms (general officers use gold epaulettes on the full dress only) while enlisted sleeve insignia, formerly on raised chevrons, now uses inverted air force blue chevrons increasing by rank, using the air force roundel.

Officer ranks

Air force ranks Collar insignia (Battledress) Shoulder insignia (Full dress) Shoulder insignia (Everyday/working dress)
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
First Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant

Air force enlisted ranks

Air force ranks Spanish Name Battledress collar insignia Service sleeve insignia
First Chief Master Sergeant Sargento Maestre Jefe de Primera
Chief Master Sergeant Sargento Maestre Jefe
Senior Master Sergeant Sargento Maestre Mayor
Master Sergeant Sargento Maestre
Technical Sergeant Sargento Tecnico
Staff Sergeant Sargento de Estado Mayor
Sergeant Sargento
Airman First Class Avionero Primero
Airman Second Class Avionero Segundo
Airman Recruit Avionero Recluta

Air Force FCMSs are also eligible for the CSMAFP appointment.

Naval ranks and ratings

These are the ranks and ratings used in the Philippine Navy. All officer insignia use both the United States Navy officer rank insignia system (using a sun instead of the five pointed star or staff corps insignia) and normal AFP rank insignia in the shoulders of the dress and duty whites, on the collars of the khaki uniforms (for officers and CPOs), and on the sleeves of the dress blues. NCO ratings, in raised chevrons increasing by rating, are in dark blue on all uniform sleeves, sleeves of the dungaree uniforms (for lower ranked NCOs and Seamen) and also on dark blue shoulder epaulettes only for senior ratings, which also wear collar insignia in almost all uniforms including the khaki uniform only used for CPOs and above. Chevrons for ratings are similar to those used in the Army and the Marine Corps, with the speciality badge in the middle.

Naval officer ranks

Navy ranks Tagalog name Spanish name Collar insignia (Khaki dress) Shoulder insignia (Full dress) Shoulder insignia (Duty dress) Shoulder insignia (Everyday/working dress) Sleeve insignia
Admiral Admiral Almirante
Vice Admiral Vicealmirante
Rear Admiral Contraalmirante
Commodore Komodor Comodoro
Captain Kapitan Capitan
Commander Kumander Comandante
Lieutenant Commander Tinyente Kumandante Teniente Comandante
Lieutenant (senior grade) Tinyente Teniente de Navio
Lieutenant (junior grade) Tinyente (Mababang baitang) Teniente de Fragata
Ensign Alperes Alférez de Navio

Naval enlisted ratings

Naval enlisted ratings Filipino name Spanish name Collar insignia Sleeve insignia Shoulder insignia (for senior rank holders only)
First Master Chief Petty Officer Maestre Contramaestre Jefe de Primera
Master Chief Petty Officer Maestre Contramaestre Jefe
Senior Chief Petty Officer Contramaestre Jefe Mayor
Chief Petty Officer Contramaestre Jefe
Petty officer, first class Contramaestre de Primera
All petty officers and seamen of the Navy sport NO shoulder insignia.
Petty officer, second class Contramaestre de Segunda
Petty officer, third class Contramaestre de Tercera
Seaman First Class Marinero de Primera
Seaman Second Class Marinero de Segunda
Seaman Marinero

See also