Medal of Valor | |
---|---|
Type | Philippine military medal with neck ribbon |
Awarded for | Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.[1] |
Description | The medal is a disc with golden sea-lion and water waves on its face. The disc is resting on a cross and crossed swords. |
Presented by | the Republic of the Philippines |
Eligibility | AFP military personnel only |
Status | Currently awarded |
First awarded | 15 November 1935: Moro Rebellion, Philippine Army recipient |
Last awarded | 3 September 2020: Brooke's Point Palawan, Philippine Army recipient |
Total | 41 |
Total awarded posthumously | 18 |
Total recipients | 41 |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | None |
Next (lower) | Distinguished Conduct Star |
The Medal of Valor (Filipino: Medalya ng Kagitingan) is the Armed Forces of the Philippines' highest military honor awarded for a conspicuous deed of personal bravery or self-sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty that distinguishes the recipient from his comrades.[2] It is defined in the Philippine Army Awards and Decorations reference material FC 1–0062, itself adapted from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Awards and Decorations Handbook, Second Edition published in 1997, as an award for "heroism in combat" and is foremost in the order of precedence of awards and decorations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.[1]
The medal is awarded by the President of the Philippines to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and allied military personnel, including recognized guerrilla forces.[3][4] The Medal of Valor is held in such high regard that the President is required to salute the medal and the individual wearing it.[5]
Under Philippine Republic Act No. 9049,[6] a Medal of Valor awardee is entitled to lifetime monthly gratuity of ₱20,000 that is separate and distinct from any salary or pension the awardee is receiving or will receive from the government.[7] The amount of this monthly gratuity was increased to ₱75,000 in 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte.[2][8]