Armed Forces of the Philippines edit
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Armed Forces of the Philippines edit
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| Armed Forces of the Philippines Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas |
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 Emblem of the Armed Forces of the Philippines |
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| Founded | March 22, 1897 |
| Service branches |  Philippine ArmyPhilippine Navy Philippine Air Force |
| Headquarters | Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Metro Manila |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo |
| Secretary of National Defense | Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. |
| Chief of Staff | Gen. Alexander B. Yano |
| Military age | Between 19-56 years old. |
| Active personnel | 114,500 |
| Reserve personnel | 131,000 |
| Related articles | |
| History | Philippine Revolution Spanish–American War Philippine–American War World War II Korean War Vietnam War Communist Insurgencies Islamic Insurgencies |
| Ranks | Second Lieutenant First Lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General |
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) (Filipino: Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force. The AFP is a volunteer force and has a total active strength of 113,500 with 131,000 personnel in reserve. The AFP leadership consists of the Chief of Staff (Gen. Alexander B. Yano), Vice Chief of Staff (Lt. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna), and Deputy Chief of Staff (Lt. Gen. Rodrigo F. Maclang).1
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The official birth of the Armed Forces of the Philippines took place with the passage of the National Defense Act, Commonwealth Act No. 1, on December 21 1935.2 While the origin of the organization can be traced back to the establishment of the Philippine Constabulary, armed Filipino forces organized in 1901 by the United States to combat the Philippine Revolutionary Forces then led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, it was the Katipunan that first formed the nucleus of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.citation needed
The Katipunan, a revolutionary force founded by Andres Bonifacio in 1892 waged war against Spain and the United States for Philippine independence. The Katipunan, officially known as Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan ("Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation") or KKK, was mainly composed of peasants who were attracted by Bonifacio's charisma in demanding independence from Spain. Later, wealthy Filipinos, many of whom were educated in Europe, joined the Katipunan. They held most of the higher military and administrative positions.
Even before the United States arrived in the Philippines, the Katipunan gained many victories against Spanish forces, which were also composed of native Filipinos hired by the Spanish government. When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, the United States, then preparing for the extension of its territory by acquiring Spanish assets, offered to help the Katipunan fight the Spanish troops in the Philippines.citation needed Emilio Aguinaldo — at the time exiled to Hong Kong following the Pact of Biak na Bato— accepted the offer.citation needed Spanish troops were weakened within a month and, on June 12, 1898, Philippine Independence was declared. The Philippine Declaration of Independence was signed by ninety-eight individuals, including an American military officer who witnessed the event. This event created the first Republic in Asia. The republic established is now known as the First Philippine Republic, to differentiate it from the Second Philippine Republic, a puppet government of Japan during World War II and the Third Philippine Republic which is the current Republic of the Philippines, which became independent from the United States on July 4, 1946.
Initially, after declaring independence in 1898, the Philippine government took on a dictatorial form. This was replaced by a revolutionary government headed by Emilio Aguinaldo as president on June 23, 1898. The First Philippine Republic was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899. When it became apparent to the Katipunan that the United States had no intention of recognizing the newly-establish Republic, the Philippine–American War erupted with a declaration of war by the Philippines on the United States.34 The Philippine Revolutionary Forces, which lacked sufficient armor and ammunition, lost many battles. By 1901, the Filipinos had completely lost the war.
In 1901, the United States established the Philippine Scouts and the Philippine Constabulary for purpose of assisting in combating the remnants of the Katipunan. The AFP was formally organized during the American Commonwealth era through the National Defense Act of 1935 (Commonwealth Act No. 1).
During the Philippine Commonwealth era, President Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Commonwealth, renamed the Philippine Army to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and asked Gen. Douglas MacArthur, to be its first commanding officer after the Philippines gained independence from the U.S. MacArthur accepted the offer and became the only person of foreign citizenship to be in the ranks of AFP. MacArthur held the rank of Field Marshal, a rank no other person has since held in the AFP. MacArthur expanded the Philippine armed forces, but they were unready for combat at the start of the Pacific War in December 1941 and unable to defeat the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.
During World War II, all soldiers of the Philippine military were incorporated in the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), with MacArthur appointed as its commander. USAFFE made its last stand on Corregidor Island in the Philippines, after which Japanese forces were able to force all remaining Filipino and American troops to surrender. After Japan was defeated in World War II, the Philippines gained its independence (its second independence – the Philippines recognizes Aguinaldo's declaration of independence in 1898 as its original year of independence). The Philippines and the United States have since maintained a tight and mutual relationship, making the AFP one of the strongest militaries in Asia from the 1950s through the 1970s.5
The 1987 Philippine Constitution puts 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 branches: the Philippine Army – Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas, Philippine Navy – Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas and Philippine Air Force – Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas. These three major branches are unified under a Chief of Staff who normally holds the rank of General. He is assisted by a Vice Chief of Staff (Lieutenant General) and a Deputy Chief of Staff (Major General). The three major branches are each headed by an officer with the following titles: Commanding General of the Philippine Army (Lieutenant General), Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy (Vice-Admiral), and Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force (Lieutenant General).
Units from these three services may be assigned to one of several "Unified Commands", which are multi-service, regional entities:6
Several service-wide support services and separate units report directly to the AFP General Headquarters (AFP GHQ), these include: