| Medal of Valor | |
|---|---|
 Service ribbon (top) and Medal of Valor on neck ribbon | |
| 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]
- ^ a b "FC 1-0062 Awards and Decorations" (PDF). Philippine Army. October 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ a b Fonbuena, Carmela (20 December 2017). "FAST FACTS: List of Medal of Valor awardees and their privileges". Rappler. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ The AFP Adjutant General, Awards and Decorations Handbook, 1997, OTAG, p. 11-12.
- ^ Presidential Security Group. "Awards and Decorations". Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ^ Soliven, Max (25 August 2005). "Not all men of valor got a medal: We must honor those who did". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ Congress of the Philippines Eleventh Congress (March 22, 2001). "AN ACT GRANTING MONTHLY GRATUITY AND PRIVILEGES TO AN AWARDEE OF THE MEDAL OF VALOR, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES". lawphil. Retrieved March 22, 2001.
- ^ Aurelio, Julie M. (May 9, 2015). "Medal of Valor eyed for 30 SAF survivors". inquirer. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- ^ "AFP hails hike in Medal of Valor cash award". Manila Standard. Philippine News Agency. 25 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2017.