Philippine Independence Medal

The Philippine Independence Medal is a military award of the Republic of the Philippines which was created by order of the Philippine Army Headquarters on July 3, 1946. The Philippine Independence Medal was created to recognize those members of the military who had participated in multiple Philippine military operations during the years of the Second World War.

To be awarded the Philippine Independence Medal, a service member must have previously received both the Philippine Defense Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal. 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 in 1945. A famous recipient was General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The service member must have also served on active duty in the Philippines after July 4, 1946.

The Philippine Independence Medal was originally awarded as a ribbon, and it was not until 1968 that a full-sized medal was authorized by President Ferdinand Marcos. The Philippine Independence Medal was also authorized for award to foreign militaries, with a number of retroactive awards presented between 1945 and 1948.