Artemio Ricarte y Garcia (October 20, 1866 — July 31, 1945) was a Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. He is considered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the "Father of the Philippine Army". Ricarte is also notable for never having taken an oath of allegiance to the United States government, which occupied the Philippines from 1898 to 1946.
After the start of the Philippine Revolution on August 31, 1896, Ricarte led the revolutionists in attacking the Spanish garrison in San Francisco de Malabon. He crushed the Spanish troops and took the civil guards as prisoner. At the Tejeros Convention Ricarte was elected Captain-General and received a military promotion to Brigadier-General in Emilio Aguinaldo's Army. He led his men in various battles in Cavite, Laguna and Batangas. Aguinaldo designated him to remain in Biak na Bato, San Miguel, Bulakan to supervise the surrender of arms and to see to it that both the Spanish government and the Philippine officers complied with the terms of the peace pact.
Ricarte was born in Batac City, Philippines to Faustino Ricarte and Bonifacia Garcia. He finished his early studies in his hometown and enrolled at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. At the University of Santo Tomas and then at the Escuela Normal, he prepared for the teaching profession. He was sent to the town of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) to supervise a primary school. While there, he met the likes of Mariano Alveraz, another school teacher and surviving revolutionary of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. Ricarte then joined the ranks of the Katipunan as a Lieutenant-General under the Magdiwang Council and adopted the name "El Vibora" (Viper).