Armed Forces of the Philippines

• Commander-in-chief – President Rodrigo R. Duterte
• Secretary of National Defense – Sec. Delfin N. Lorenzana
  • Undersecretary of National Defense - Usec. Cardozo M. Luna
• National Security Adviser - Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr.
• Presidential Adviser for Military Affairs - Sec. Arthur I. Tabaquero

AFP Chain of Command

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs		Appointed	Branch
	Lieutenant General Cirilito E. Sobejana[7]	4 February 2021 (5 days)	Philippine Army (Infantry and Special Operations)
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs		Appointed	Branch
	Lieutenant General Erickson R. Gloria [8] [9]	21 November 2020 (80 days)	Philippine Air Force (Helicopters and Staff)
Chief of the Joint Staff		Appointed	Branch
	Vice Admiral Erick A. Kagaoan [10][11]	3 October 2020 (129 days)	Philippine Navy (Naval Squadron and Staff)
Chief of the Army		Appointed	Branch
	TBD		Philippine Army
Chief of the Navy		Appointed	Branch
	Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo [12][13][14]	03 February 2020 (1 year, 6 days)	Philippine Navy (Naval Squadron)
Chief of the Air Force		Appointed	Branch
	Lieutenant General Allen T. Paredes [15][16][17]	16 January 2020 (1 year, 24 days)	Philippine Air Force (Logistics and Staff)
Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps		Appointed	Branch
	Major General Ariel R. Caculitan[18]	20 December 2020 (51 days)	Philippine Marine Corps (Naval Infantry)
Sergeant Major of the Armed Forces of the Philippines		Appointed	Branch
	First Chief Master Sergeant Engracio S. Gabo Jr.[19]	13 July 2019 (1 year, 211 days)	Philippine Army (Infantry)

Pre-colonial Philippines maintained local militia groups under the barangay system. Reporting to the datu, these groups, aside from maintaining order in their communities, also served as their defense forces. With the arrival of Islam, the system of defense forces in the Mindanao region's sultanates under Muslim control mirrored those other existing sultanates in the region. These local warriors who were in the service of the Sultan were also responsible to qualified male citizens appointed by him.

During the Spanish colonial period, the Spanish Army was responsible for the defense and general order of the archipelago in the land, while the Spanish Navy conducts maritime policing in the seas as well as providing naval logistics to the Army. The Guardia Civil took police duties and maintaining public order in villages and towns. In the early years of Spanish colonial era, most of the formations of the army were composed of conquistadors backed with native auxiliaries. By the 18th and 19th centuries, line infantry and cavalry formations were created composed of mixed Spanish and Filipino personnel, as well as volunteer battalions composed of all-Filipino volunteers during the later half of the 19th Century. Units from other colonies were also levied to augment the existing formations in the Philippines. Almost all of the formations of the Spanish Army in the archipelago participated in the local religious uprisings between 17th and 19th centuries, and in the Philippine Revolution in 1896 fighting against the revolutionary forces. At the peak of the revolution, some Filipinos and a few Spaniards in the Spanish Army, Guardia Civil, and Navy defected to the Philippine Revolutionary Army.

The Spanish cession of the Philippines in the 1898 Treaty of Paris put the independence of the newly declared Southeast Asian republic in grave danger. The revolutionaries were fighting desperately as the American forces already landed in other islands and had taken over towns and villages. The Americans established the Philippine Constabulary in 1901 manned by Filipino fighters and used against Gen. Aguinaldo who was later captured.

On April 9, 2002, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo proclaimed that the Philippine–American War had ended on April 16, 1902 with the surrender of General Miguel Malvar.[20]

Since the beginning of American rule in the Philippines, the United States Army had taken the responsibility for the defense of the country in the land, and the United States Navy in the seas until the passage of the National Defense Act of 1935 which called for a separate defense force for the Philippines.

Department of National Defense Building, Camp Aguinaldo

The 1987 Philippine Constitution placed the AFP under the control of a civilian, the President of the Philippines, who acts as its Commander-in-Chief. All of its branches are part of the Department of National Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of National Defense.

The AFP has three major services:[30]

• Philippine Army (PA) – Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas
• Philippine Navy (PN) – Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas
  • Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) – Hukbong Kawal Pandagat ng Pilipinas
• Philippine Air Force (PAF) – Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas

These three major services are unified under a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs who normally holds the rank of General/Admiral. He is assisted by:

• The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
• The Chief of the Joint Staff

Both normally holding the rank of Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral.

Each of the three major branches are headed by an officer with the following titles:

• Chief of the Army (Lieutenant General)
• Chief of the Navy (Vice Admiral)
• Chief of the Air Force (Lieutenant General)
• The Inspector General, AFP (Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral)
• Joint Forces Commander, Unified Command (Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral)

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is also assisted by the following office holders carry the rank of Major General/Rear Admiral:

• The Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Personnel
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Intelligence
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Operations, Organization & Training
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Logistics
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Plans
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Service
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Civil-Military Operations
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Education and Training
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Retirees and Reservists Affairs
• The Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for Financial Management
• Army Division Commanders
• Naval Command Commanders
• Air Command Commanders

On June 19, 2020, under the DND Order no. 174, the AFP had major changes in renaming its positions in high-ranking officials, such as:[31]

• Chief of Staff of the AFP - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
• Vice-Chief of Staff of the AFP - Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
• The Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP - Chief of the Joint Staff
• Commander, Unified Command - Joint Forces Commander, Unified Command
• Deputy Chief of Staff for (functional area) (J-staff) - Deputy Chief of Joint Staff for (functional area)
• Commanding General of the Philippine Army - Chief of the Army
• Flag Officer in-Command - Chief of the Navy
• Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force - Chief of the Air Force

Framework of the Philippine Defense Reform Program

In October 1999, the Joint Defense Assessment (JDA) began as a policy level discussion between the Philippine Secretary of National Defense and the US Secretary of Defense. An initial JDA report in 2001 provided an objective evaluation of Philippine defense capability. During a May 2003 state visit to Washington DC, President Arroyo requested U.S. assistance in conducting a strategic assessment of the Philippine defense system. This led to a follow-up JDA and formulation of recommendations addressing deficiencies found in the Philippine defense structure.[35]

The results of the 2003 JDA were devastating. The JDA findings revealed that the AFP was only partially capable of performing its most critical missions. Moreover, the results pointed overwhelmingly toward institutional and strategic deficiencies as being the root cause of most of the shortcomings. A common thread in all: the lack of strategy-based planning that would focus DND/AFP on addressing priority threats and link capability requirements with the acquisition process.

Specifically, the 2003 JDA revealed critical deficiencies in the following specific areas:[36]

• Systemic approach to policy planning
• Personnel management and leadership
• Defense expenditures and budgeting
• Acquisition
• Supply and maintenance
• Quality assurance for existing industrial base
• Infrastructure support

During a reciprocal visit to the Philippines in October 2003 by U.S. President Bush, he and President Arroyo issued a joint statement expressing their commitment to embark upon a multi-year plan to implement the JDA recommendations. The Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) Program is the result of that agreement.

The JDA specifically identified 65 key areas and 207 ancillary areas of concern. These were reduced to ten broad-based and inter-related recommendations that later became the basis for what became known as the PDR Priority Programs. The ten are:[37] 1. Multi-Year Defense Planning System (MYDPS) 2. Improve Intelligence, Operations, and Training Capacities 3. Improve Logistics Capacity 4. Professional Development Program 5. Improve Personnel Management System 6. Multi-year Capabilities Upgrade Program (CUP) 7. Optimization of Defense Budget and Improvement of Management Controls 8. Centrally Managed Defense Acquisition System Manned by a Professional Workforce 9. Development of Strategic Communication Capability 10. Information Management Development Program

From the perspective of the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND), the framework for reforms is based on an environment of increasing economic prowess and a gradually decreasing threat level over time, and seeks to make the following improvements:[38] 1. Address AFP capability gaps to enable the AFP to effectively fulfill its mission. 2. Implement capability for seamless interoperability by developing proficiency in the conduct of joint operations, eliminating crisis handling by individual major services as done previously. 3. improve effectiveness of internal security operations. 4. Enhance capability to counter terrorism and other transnational threats. 5. Provide sustainment and/or long-term viability of acquired capabilities. 6. Improve cost-effectiveness of operations. 7. Improve accountability and transparency in the DND. 8. Increase professionalism in the AFP through reforms in areas such as promotions, assignments, and training. 9. Increase involvement of AFP in the peace process.

Steps of the Philippine Defense Reform Program

According to the goals stated in the Philippines Defense Reform Handbook: "The PDR serves as the overall framework to re-engineer our systems and re-tool our personnel."[39] The Philippine Defense Reform follows a three-step implementation plan:[40] 1. Creating the environment for reform (2004–2005); 2. Enabling the defense establishment (2005–2007); 3. Implementing and institutionalizing reform (2007–2010).

On September 23, 2003, President Arroyo issued Executive Order 240, streamlining procedures for defense contracts for the expeditious implementation of defense projects and the speedy response to security threats while promoting transparency, impartiality, and accountability in government transactions. Executive Order 240, creating the Office of the Undersecretary of Internal Control in the DND, mandated in part to institutionalize reforms in the procurement and fund disbursement systems in the AFP and the DND.[41] On November 30, 2005, the Secretary of National Defense issued Department Order No. 82 (DO 82), creating the PDR Board and formalizing the reform organizational set-up between the DND and the AFP and defining workflow and decision-making processes.[42]

Funding of the Philippine Defense Reform Program

The PDR is jointly funded by the U.S. and R.P. governments. from 2004 to 2008, funding amounted to $51.8 million from the U.S. and $514.0 million from the RP.[43] Initial planning assumptioned that the 18-year span of reform would encompass a period of steady rise in economic growth coupled with equally steady decline in the military threat from terrorists and separatists. Neither of these projections have proven accurate. As of 2010, at the six-year mark of PDR, the Philippine economy was internally strong, but suffering during a period of recession that crippled Philippine purchasing power. Worse, the threat situation in the Philippines had not improved significantly, or as in the case of the Sulu Archipelago, was deteriorating.[44]

During the Arroyo presidency, deliberate 'Rolodexing' of senior leadership within the DND and AFP constantly put U.S. PDR advocates in a position of re-winning previously won points and positions, and gave U.S. observers a 'two steps forward, one step back' impression of the program. As of 2010, U.S. observers were uncertain whether Arroyo's successor, Benigno Aquino III, chosen in Philippine Presidential elections on May 10, 2010, will continue the tradition of rapid turnover of senior leadership.[45]

U.S. observers have reported that overall progress of the PDR is unmistakable and has clearly struck a wider swath of the Philippine defense establishment than originally hoped. However, they see some troubling signs that the depth of the PDR's impact may not be as significant as originally desired. For example, the Philippine legislature continues to significantly underfund the DND and AFP, currently at.9 percent of GDP, compared to an average of 2 percent worldwide, and a 4 percent outlay by the U.S. Even with full implementation of all the PDR's programs and recommendations, the defense establishment would not be able to sustain itself at current funding levels. While this can be made up by future outlays, as of 2010 observers see no outward sign the legislature is planning to do so.[45] One U.S. observer likened PDR process to the progress of a Jeepney on a busy Manila avenue—explaining, "a Jeepney moves at its own pace, stops unexpectedly, frequently changes passengers, moves inexplicably and abruptly right and left in traffic, but eventually arrives safely."[46] President Aquino has promised to implement the PDR program.[47] As of 9 March 2011, a major Philippine news organization tracking performance on his promises evaluated that one as "To Be Determined."[48]

The Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States has not been updated since its signing in 1951. As of 2013, discussions were underway for a formal U.S.-Philippine Framework Agreement detail how U.S. forces would be able to "operate on Philippine military bases and in Philippine territorial waters to help build Philippine military capacity in maritime security and maritime domain awareness."[49] In particular, this Framework Agreement would which would increase rotational presence of American forces in the Philippines.[50]

Longstanding treaties, such as the aforementioned 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982,[51] are of great importance to the Philippines in supporting maritime security in particular; respectively, their legally binding nature provides long-term effectiveness for mutual defense cooperation and for the development of the Philippine maritime and archipelagic domain.

Philippine defense operations are supported in part through U.S. Section 1206 ($102.3 million) and 1207 ($16.02 million) funds. These funds are aimed at carrying out security, counterterrorism training and rule of law programs.[52] Overall, the United States is increasing U.S. funding for military education and training programs in Southeast Asia. The most recent U.S. Department of Defense budget for the region includes $90 million for programs, which is a 50 percent increased from four years ago.[53]

Recent national policies have shifted the strategic direction of the AFP towards external, territorial defense as opposed to previous, internal foci. Some of the challenges with this change in strategic direction include the uneven distribution of maritime security resources among territorial, transnational, environmental, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) conflicts.[54] For example, Philippine Executive Order 57, signed in 2011 by President Benigno Aquino III, established a central inter-agency mechanism for enhancing governance in the country's maritime domain.[55] Between 1995 and 2019, the AFP Reserve Manpower in the Philippines totaled 741,937 and 4,384,936 ROTC Cadets.[56] Out of the 700,00+ reservists; 93,062 are (ready reserve) and 610,586 are (standby reserve).[57] There are a total of 20,451 with the affiliated reserve units.[57]

Conflicts over responsibility for maritime surveillance between armed forces continue to underscore the numerous challenges that the TBA faces. For example, following the expulsion of Ferdinand Marcos from the Philippines in 1986, the Philippine Coast Guard separated from the Philippine Navy, resulting in an uneven distribution of resources and jurisdictional confusion.[58]

The Philippine Army shooting team was the overall champion in a two-week competition held in Australia, 2013.[59] The Philippine Army shooting team won 14 gold medals, 50 silver medals and two bronze medals in Australian Army Skills at the Arms Meeting (AASAM) 2014.[60]

The 7th Philippine Contingent peacekeepers to the Golan Heights were awarded the prestigious United Nations Service Medal for the performance of their mission.[61]

The officer ranks are as follows:[62][63]

Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer
Philippine Army	No equivalent																								Unknown
			General		Lieutenant General		Major General		Brigadier General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		First Lieutenant			Second Lieutenant
Philippine Navy	No equivalent																								No equivalent
			Admiral		Vice Admiral		Rear Admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant Commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign
Philippine Air Force	No equivalent
			General		Lieutenant General		Major General		Brigadier General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		First Lieutenant			Second Lieutenant
Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer

These ranks, heavily inspired by those of the United States Armed Forces, are officially used in the Philippine Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. The ranks are more frequently referred and addressed in English rather than in Spanish or Tagalog/Filipino, since English is the working language within the Armed Forces.

The ranks in the Philippine Navy are similar to the US Navy ranks, the only difference is the rank of Commodore in the Philippine Navy is equivalent to the Lower Half Rear Admiral of the US Navy.

The alternative style of address for the ranks of lieutenant junior grade, lieutenant senior grade, second lieutenant, and first lieutenant are simply lieutenant in English, or tenyente or teniente in Tagalog and Spanish, respectively.

A Philippine Marine Corps instructor teaches US Marines "Pekiti-Tirsia Kali", a Philippine martial art during military exercises

The ranks of enlisted personnel in Filipino are the same as their U.S. counterparts, with some differences. Except in the Marine Corps, never used are the ranks of specialist, sergeant first class, and first sergeant. Lance corporal, gunnery sergeant, and master gunnery sergeant are also never used by the Philippine Marine Corps, whose ranks are the same as the Army's. Additionally, sergeant majors in the AFP are only appointments for senior ranked non-commissioned officers (NCOs) rather than ranks, examples of such appointments being the Command Sergeant Major, AFP (held by a first chief master sergeant or a first master chief petty officer) and the Command Master Chief Petty Officer, Philippine Navy (held by an either MCPO or CMS or a SCPO or SMS).

In the Philippine Navy, they also use enlisted ranks which come from the U.S. Navy with their specialization, e.g. "Master Chief and Boatswain's mate Juan Dela Cruz, PN" (Philippine Navy).

In effect, the AFP uses the pre-1955 US military enlisted ranks, with several changes, especially in the Navy and in the senior NCO ranks.

There are no warrant officers in between officer ranks and enlisted ranks.

The uniqueness of Philippine military ranks can be seen in the current highest ranks of first chief master sergeant (for the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force) and first master chief petty officer (for the Navy), both created in 2004, and since then have become the highest enlisted rank of precedence. Prior, first chief sergeant and master chief petty officer were the highest enlisted ranks and rates, the former being the highest rank of precedence for Army, Air Force and Marine NCOs. Today only the rank of first master chief petty officer is unused, but the rank of first chief master sergeant is now being applied.

Five-star rank

Main article: Field Marshal of the Philippines

Commander-in-Chief Rodrigo Duterte (His Excellency) in full 5-star rank battle dress uniform (bdu)

President Ferdinand Marcos, who acted also as national defense secretary (from 1965 to 1967 and 1971 to 1972), issued an order conferring the five-star officer rank to the President of the Philippines, making himself as its first rank holder. Since then, the rank of five-star general/admiral became an honorary rank of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces whenever a new president assumes office for a six-year term, thus making the President the most senior military official.[64]

The only career military officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure is President Fidel V. Ramos (USMA 1950) (president from 1992 to 1998) who rose from second lieutenant up to commander-in-chief of the armed forces.[65]

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was also made Field Marshal of the Philippine Army with five-star rank in 1938, the only person to hold that rank. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippines, holds an equivalent of five-star general under the title Generalissimo and Minister/Field Marshal as the first commander-in-chief of the AFP.

The position is honorary and may be granted to any military officer, especially generals or admirals who had significant contributions and showed heroism, only in times of war and national defense concerns and emergencies. The highest peacetime rank is that of four-star general which is being held only by the AFP Chief of Staff. However, no law specifically establishes the rank of five-star general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines unlike in the United States and other countries.

• Armed Forces of the Philippines
• 
  Philippine Navy rigid hull inflatable boats perform a maritime interdiction operation exercise in Manila Bay.
• 
  Philippine Marine Corps push forward after splashing ashore in an amphibious assault vehicle during an exercise.
• 
  A NAVSOG unit climbs a caving ladder aboard the BRP Dagupan City during a maritime interdiction exercise.
• 
  Philippine Army Staff Sgt. Manolo Martin demonstrates the proper way to hold a king cobra during survival course training.
• 
  Airmen of the 710th Special Operations Wing prepare to jump from a KC-130 during Parachute Operations training.
• 
  A Philippine Army M113A2 FSV equipped with a UT30 25mm RCWS, being offloaded from BRP Tarlac (LD-601) in Iligan City during the Battle of Marawi.
• 
  The Northrop F-5 was the primary multi-role aircraft of the Philippine Air Force from 1967 to 2005.
• 
  BRP Gregorio del Pilar steam in formation together with BRP Edsa Dos during the sea phase of CARAT Philippines 2013.
• 
  Philippine Air Force W-3A Sokol in combat helicopter paint scheme before transferring to search and rescue role.
• 
  Two FA-50 Jets of the Philippine Air Force.
• 
  Two Del Pilar-class OPVs at Subic Bay Port
• 
  The BRP Artemio Ricarte during the 2008 Balikatan exercise
• 
  The BRP Jose Rizal, the first purpose-built vessel of the Philippine Navy

• AFP Service Patches
• 
  Battledress identification patch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
• 
  Philippine Army battledress patch
• 
  Philippine Air Force battledress patch
• 
  Philippine Marine Corps battledress pocket patch
• 
  Philippine Navy battledress patch
  (for NAVSOG Personnel in battledress uniform)

• AFP emblems and patches in the Commonwealth Era
• 
  Emblem of the Philippine Commonwealth Armed Forces, 1935-1946
• 
  Shoulder patch of the AFP General Staff, 1946-1965

• AFP Modernization Act
• Awards and decorations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
• List of AFP Chiefs of Staff
• Women in the Philippine military
• Philippine Constabulary
• Philippine Revolutionary Army
• Military History of the Philippines
• History of the Philippine Army
• List of conflicts in the Philippines
• List of wars involving the Philippines

• 53rd PC Anniversary Yearbook, 1954 Edition
• Charles 'Ken' Comer, Philippine Defense Reform; Are we there yet?, Asia / South Pacific / India. Russian Military Security Watch, November 2010, U.S. Army Foreign Military Studies Office.

• Official website