Philippine Revolutionary Army

1897 Seal of the Philippine Army

A group of Filipino soldiers in 1899

The Philippine Revolutionary Army (Filipino Panghimagsikang Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas; Spanish Ejército Revolucionario Filipino) was founded on March 22, 1897 in Cavite. General Artemio Ricarte was designated as its first Captain General during the Tejeros Convention. This armed force of General Emilio Aguinaldo's revolutionary government replaced the Katipunan military. When Philippine independence was declared on June 12, 1898, the Philippine Revolutionary Army was renamed the Philippine Republican Army.

The first Philippine Army used the 1896 edition of the Spanish army's Ordenanza del Ejercito to organize its forces and establish its character as a modern army. Rules and regulations were laid down for the reorganization of the Army, adoption of new fighting methods, regulation of ranks, adoption of new rank insignias and a standard uniform known as rayadillo. The main weapon of the new Filipino army was the Spanish M93, also the standard infantry arm of the Spanish.

Orders and circulars were issued covering matters such as building trenches and fortifications, equipping every male aged 15 to 50 with bows and arrows (as well as bolo knives), enticing Filipino soldiers in the Spanish Army to defect, collecting empty cartridges for refilling, prohibiting unplanned sorties, inventories of captured arms and ammunition, fund raising, purchase of arms and supplies abroad, unification of military commands, and exhorting the people to give any aid to the soldiers.

The newly formed army lacked artillery, and most of the operable artillery guns were looted from the Spaniards. So, the Filipinos improvised by using water pipes and reinforcing such with bamboo.

References

• "Philippine-American War, 1899-1902". http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/thephilippinearmy.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-28. 
• "Artemio Ricarte". http://server.pvao.mil.ph/artemio_ricarte.html. Retrieved 2012-01-28. 
• "The Philippine Army History". http://www.army.mil.ph/About_the_army/army/history/history.html. Retrieved 2012-01-28. 

See also

• Military History of the Philippines
• Katipunan
• Negros Revolution