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.

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.

Enlisted Ranks
Army enlisted ranks are in green while those of the Marines are in red with yellow piping.

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.

Air force enlisted ranks
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.