The Forgotten Fleet: Rediscovering the Philippine Revolutionary Navy and Its Role in the Fight for Independence

Battle of Manila Bay | Source: Encyclopædia Britannica

August 15, 2026 – Pasay City, NCR, Philippines

Article by Nicole Denise Fajilagot

When people talk about the Philippine Revolution, they usually think of soldiers fighting on land, led by figures such as Emilio Aguinaldo. What many do not know is that the revolution also had a small navy. This lesser-known naval force played a real part in the fight for independence, even though it is rarely mentioned in history lessons today. This article looks back at how this navy started, who led it, what it did in battle, and why it still matters in Philippine history today.

The story of the navy begins with the return of Emilio Aguinaldo to the Philippines. After the Pact of Biak-na-Bato failed to bring lasting peace, Aguinaldo went into exile in Hong Kong, only to come back in May 1898 to continue the fight for independence (Barretto, 2023). His return came shortly after United States Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.

After that battle, Dewey gave the Filipino revolutionaries a small boat called a pinnace, taken from the Spanish ship Reina Cristina, which became one of the first vessels used by the Filipinos at sea (Naval Encyclopedia, n.d.). With independence efforts moving forward, Aguinaldo formally organized the Revolutionary Navy on May 20, 1898, using eight captured Spanish steam launches as its first ships (Naval Encyclopedia, n.d.). On June 23, 1898, Aguinaldo restructured the revolutionary government and placed naval affairs under a new department covering foreign affairs, navy, and commerce, giving the young navy an official place within the government (National Historical Commission of the Philippines, 2012).

Leadership of the navy fell to Pascual V. Ledesma, a merchant marine master from Himamaylan, Negros, who had joined the Katipunan years earlier. Aguinaldo appointed him Director of the Navy, with the rank of general, and gave him Angel Pabie, another experienced ship captain, as his deputy (Bondoc, 2023). Today, the Philippine Navy's main base in Sangley, Cavite carries Ledesma's name in his honor. Another important figure in this story is Vicente Catalan, a Cuban-Spanish sailor sympathetic to the Filipino cause. Catalan served as second officer on the steamship Compañía de Filipinas. Together with the Filipino crew, he seized control of the ship, raised the Filipino flag, and proclaimed himself “Admiral of the Filipino Navy” (Bondoc, 2023). This act was significant enough to draw formal objections from Germany, since German trading interests were connected to the ship at the time (Naval Encyclopedia, n.d.).

General Pascual Ledesma (1843–1917) | Source: The Kahimyang Project

The Revolutionary Navy did not simply stay in port. It took part in real operations to support the fight against Spanish forces, including actions that helped Filipino revolutionaries gain access to key coastal areas, with Catalan and his sailors contributing to the effort to gain control of Subic Bay (Bondoc, 2023). Wealthy Filipino patriots also donated more ships, such as the Taaleño, the Balayan, and the Bulusan, expanding the fleet beyond its original captured vessels (Bondoc, 2023). Despite its efforts, the Revolutionary Navy could not last against a much stronger foreign power. As tensions between Filipino revolutionaries and the United States grew following the end of the Spanish-American War, the small and poorly equipped Filipino fleet stood little chance against the modern ships of the American Asiatic Squadron once the Philippine-American War began. Even though it only existed for a short period, the Revolutionary Navy left a lasting legacy. The modern Philippine Navy considers this same 1898 fleet as the beginning of its own history, tracing its roots directly to the ships, officers, and events described here.

The Philippine Revolutionary Navy may not be as widely remembered as the Revolutionary Army, but its story adds an important piece to the full picture of the Philippine Revolution. Using a mix of captured Spanish boats, donated merchant ships, and the courage of ordinary Filipino sailors, this small fleet proved that the fight for independence extended beyond land, all the way to Philippine waters. Remembering the Revolutionary Navy today helps give proper credit to a part of history that deserves far more attention than it usually receives.

References

Barretto, Albert Vincent. “The Exile and Return of Aguinaldo.” National Historical Commission of the Philippines, May 19, 2023. https://nhcp.gov.ph/articles/the-exile-and-return-of-aguinaldo/

Bondoc, Jarius. “Our Navy’s Dramatic Birth 125 Years Ago.” Philstar.Com, May 25, 2023. https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2023/05/26/2269139/our-navys-dramatic-birth-125-years-ago

Bondoc, Jarius. “Philippine Navy Isinilang Ng 1898 Para Sa Kasarinlan,” Philstar.Com, June 11, 2023, https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/opinyon/2023/06/12/2273277/philippine-navy-isinilang-ng-1898-para-sa-kasarinlan

Naval Encyclopedia. “Philippines Navy.” Accessed August 11, 2026. https://naval-encyclopedia.com/cold-war/philippines-navy.php#google_vignette

National Historical Commission of the Philippines. “The First Philippine Republic,” September 7, 2012. https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-first-philippine-republic/