Armed Forces of the Philippines Medal of Valor

Medal of Valor
Service ribbon (top) and Medal of Valor on neck ribbon
Awarded by the Republic of the Philippines
Type	Philippine military medal with neck ribbon
Eligibility	AFP military personnel only
Awarded for	Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
Status	Currently awarded
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.
Statistics
First awarded	15 November 1935: Moro Rebellion, Philippine Army recipient
Last awarded	20 December 2017: Battle of Marawi, Philippine Army recipient
Total awarded	41
Posthumous awards	18
Distinct recipients	41
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	Distinguished Conduct Star
Service ribbon

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. 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.

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. The Medal of Valor is held in such high regard that the President is required to salute the medal and the individual wearing it.

Under Philippine Republic Act No. 9049, 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. The amount of this monthly gratuity was increased to ₱75,000 in 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The medal is described as a disc adorned with a golden sea-lion in relief holding the eight-rayed Philippine sun, and water waves composed of five blue ripples. The disk rests on a red cross with golden borders and crossed golden swords. The top-most flange of the cross contains three golden stars in a triangular pattern. A golden bar embossed with the phrase "For Valor" connects the medal to a Sampaguita wreath consisting of ten white buds and twenty-two green leaves. The wreath serves as a link to the neck ribbon, which is crimson with eight golden stars arranged horizontally forming two parallel lines. The service ribbon, worn in lieu of the medal itself, is similarly crimson with eight golden stars arranged horizontally forming two parallel lines, five stars on the top line and three on the bottom.