Philippine Independence Medal

The Philippine Independence Medal[1] is a military award and decoration of the Republic of the Philippines that was created by order of the Philippine Army Headquarters on 3 July 1946 as the Philippine Independence Ribbon. The medal was added in 1968.[2] The medal recognizes those members of the military who participated in multiple Philippine Commonwealth military operations during the years of World War II.

Philippine Independence Medal
TypeMedal (Decoration)
Awarded forParticipation during the invasion of the Philippines period and in the Philippine Campaign:
8 Dec. 1941 to 15 June 1942 and
17 Oct. 1944 to 2 Sept. 1945
Presented byRepublic of the Philippines
EligibilityMilitary Personnel
Campaign(s)Philippine Campaign, WWII
StatusCurrent
Established3 July 1946 (Ribbon)
1968 (Medal)
First awarded1945

Service ribbon

Streamer
Precedence
Next (higher)Philippine Defense Medal
Next (lower)Philippine Liberation Medal

Award criteria edit

To be awarded the Philippine Independence Medal, a service member must have previously received both the Philippine Defense Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal (authority for wear must be recorded before 24 November 1954).[3] The award criteria effectively awarded the medal to anyone who had participated in both the initial resistance against Japanese invasion and also in the campaigns to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation from October 1944 to September 1945.

The decoration was also authorized for award to the United States and other foreign militaries, with a number of retroactive awards presented between 1945 and 1948. A famous American recipient was General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

The Philippine Independence Medal was originally awarded as a service ribbon only, and it was not until 1968, that a full-sized medal was authorized and added by President Ferdinand Marcos.[2]

Notable recipients edit

See also edit

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ The AFP Adjutant General, AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook, 1997, OTAG, p.
  2. ^ a b "Foreign Campaign and Service Medals". foxfall.com.
  3. ^ AR 600-8-22, 25 June 2015: 9-9, Philippine Defense Ribbon, Page 124

Bibliography edit

  • The AFP Adjutant General, AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook, 1995, 1997, OTAG.