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Vito Belarmino was born in Silang, Cavite on June 15, 1857 to Severino Belarmino and Damiana Loyola.

He was sent to the Colegio de San Juan de Letran but was unable to pursue his studies due to the recurrence of a plague in Manila. At age 19 he entered the government service and successively held the postions of teniente mayor, cabeza de barangay, secretary of the local tribunal , gobernadorcillo and justice of peace.

During the Revolution, he was engaged in various attacks against the Spanish forces. In 1896, together with Vicente Giron, they led an attack on the convent and the Spanish guards in Silang. He joined Aguinaldo in the assault against Infantry Battalion No. 72 of the Spanish Army stationed in Talisay, Batangas. On October 29, 1898, he was placed in command of the province of Albay inorder to establish a republican government and to assume the position of military commander of both Camarines and Sorsogon. He was given the power to appoint the chief and members of the General Staff, the officers of the General Headquarters, the president and members of the Court Martial, the chiefs and officers of the Signal Corps, the Medical Corps, the Ordinance Service and the Quarter Master Corps. He organized the infantry of the province into a regiment and formal artillery batteries which he stationed in Capunctocan, Legazpi, in Cabugao and at the port of Tabaco, both in Albay. He also organized a company of engineers and a platoon of cavalry.

At Legazpi, Albay, the Filipinos under Belarmino and General Jose Pawa fought hard against General William Kobbe. On February 8, 1900, Tabaco was captured and on February 23, Naga fell. Pawa surrendered in March 27 but Belarmino continued to fight against the Americans in the region.

After the Filipino American War, Belarmino went back to Silang where he retired into private life, totally blind. He died on July 14, 1933.