Philippines Military Records

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Philippines

Military Records

Online Resources

• 1943-1947 United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Records, 1943-1947 (USHMM) at Ancestry - index ($)
• Philippine Army and Guerrilla Records

Military records describe the induction, draft, conscription, orders, discharge, grants, and pension requests of those who served in the military. There are two categories of records:

• Spanish colonization records (pre-1900) are stored in the Archives Division of the Record Management and Archives Office.
• Modern records (Post-1900) are in the National Census and Statistics Office.
• Philippine Archives Collection

This is a cooperative collection between the U.S. National Archives, College Park, Maryland (NARA) and the Philippine Government. It is composed of 1,665 boxes containing documents of military operations in the Philippines from 1941-1945 and is in a deteriorating state. The records are divided into the following categories:

• Invasion and Surrender
• Civilian Employees
• POWs/Civilian Internees
• Japanese Occupation
• Guerrillas
• United States Armed Forces in the Far East
• Liberation/Post-War Era
• Recovered Personnel Division
• Claims

Spanish Colonization Period Military Records

Records from the Spanish colonization period describe the conscription of recruits by the drawing of lots (quintas) and military personnel [Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) and hojas de servicio (military service records)]. These records generally include the name, age, and unit number of the soldier. Some include the parents and marital status and parents’ names as well. The records may not be in chronological order, and many are missing. If you make arrangements in advance, you may search these records at the National Archives of the Philippines.

The FamilySearch Library has filmed the military records in the Record Management and Archives Office. See the Locality section of the FamilySearch Catalog, under “Military Records.”

To search military records, you must know at least the province where your ancestor lived when he was of age to serve in the military (late teens to early twenties).

Military Records (Guardia Civil, Quintas)

These records are useful in locating previous residence and vital data of soldiers. They include records of the old Spanish civil guard, conscription records of those eligible for military service, enlistment and service records. Records exist from about 1850 to present.

Records may include biographical information, birth registers and lists of 17-21 year old males, their parents, residence, physical descriptions, length and place of service, unit number, date and place of enlistment, discharge data. Records of officers may contain more information. About 35% of the population may be found in these records.

Records may be found at the National Bureau of Records Management, provincial and municipal archives.

FamilySearch Library has microfilmed Service records, 1917-1919 of the Philippines National Guard. The original records are in the Records Management and Archives Office.