Philippine Legion of Honor
Encyclopedia
The Philippine Legion of Honor was established by President Manuel Roxas
, through Philippine Army
Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit
of the United States of America, and was meant to honor both civilians and members of the military, Filipino or foreign. Originally, like the U.S. Legion of Merit, the Philippine Legion of Honor only had four classes, known as Degrees, with Legionnaire being the basic rank, and Chief Commander being the highest. With the reform of the Philippine system of orders and decorations
in 2003, the Philippine Legion of Honor's classes were renamed "ranks" instead of "degrees," and the ranks expanded.
To signify the importance of the civil service in military affairs in the preservation of the honor of the Republic of the Philippines and in nation building, the Philippine Legion of Honor is conferred on the anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence.
The Philippine Legion of Honor may be awarded by the Secretary of National Defense in the name and by authority of the President of the Philippines
.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines
has its own regulations governing the conferment of the Philippine Legion of Honor.
text from the library of the Philippine Congress.
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Acuña Roxas was the first president of the independent Third Republic of the Philippines and fifth president overall. He served as president from the granting of independence in 1946 until his abrupt death in 1948...
, through Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
of the United States of America, and was meant to honor both civilians and members of the military, Filipino or foreign. Originally, like the U.S. Legion of Merit, the Philippine Legion of Honor only had four classes, known as Degrees, with Legionnaire being the basic rank, and Chief Commander being the highest. With the reform of the Philippine system of orders and decorations
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
in 2003, the Philippine Legion of Honor's classes were renamed "ranks" instead of "degrees," and the ranks expanded.
Criteria
Today, the Philippine Legion of Honor is conferred upon a Filipino or foreign citizen in recognition of valuable and meritorious service in relation to the military affairs of the Republic of the Philippines. It is thus the primary order of military merit of the Republic of the Philippines.To signify the importance of the civil service in military affairs in the preservation of the honor of the Republic of the Philippines and in nation building, the Philippine Legion of Honor is conferred on the anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence.
The Philippine Legion of Honor may be awarded by the Secretary of National Defense in the name and by authority of the President of the Philippines
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
.
Ranks
The civilian division of the Philippine Legion of Honor is composed of the following ranks:- Chief Commander (Punong Komandante) - Conferred upon a civilian for life achievement in public service not otherwise qualifying for the Quezon Service CrossQuezon Service CrossThe Quezon Service Cross is the highest national recognition of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to only five Filipinos since its creation in 1946.-Background:...
; or upon a former or incumbent head of State and/or of government
- Grand Commander (Marangal na Komandante) – Conferred upon a civilian for singular acts of service with a tangible impact on the Philippine military sphere; or upon a Crown Prince, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice or the equivalent, foreign minister or other official of cabinet rank; or upon an Ambassador, Undersecretary, Assistant Secretary, or other person of a rank similar or equivalent to the foregoing for life achievement in the military field
- Grand Officer (Marangal na Pinuno) – Conferred upon a civilian for acts of exemplary merit benefiting the Republic of the Philippines; or upon a Chargé d'affaires, e.p., Minister, Minister Counselor, Consul General heading a consular post, Executive Director, or other person of a rank similar or equivalent to the foregoing
- Commander (Komandante) – Conferred upon a civilian for acts of conspicuous merit benefiting the Republic of the Philippines; or upon a Chargé d'affaires, a.i., Counselor, First Secretary, Consul General in the consular section of an Embassy, Consular officer with a personal rank higher than Second Secretary, Director, or other person of a rank similar or equivalent to the foregoing
- Officer (Pinuno) – Conferred upon a civilian for acts of commendable merit benefiting the Republic of the Philippines; or upon a Second Secretary, Consul, Assistant Director, or other person of a rank similar or equivalent to the foregoing
- Legionnaire (Lehiyonaryo) – Conferred upon a civilian for acts of merit benefiting the Republic of the Philippines; or upon a Third Secretary, Vice Consul, Attaché, Principal Assistant, or other person of a rank similar or equivalent to the foregoing.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
has its own regulations governing the conferment of the Philippine Legion of Honor.
Chief Commander
- U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
PresidentPresidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, first recipient of the rank (then known as degree) of Chief Commander, given posthumously in 1947 - EmperorEmperorAn emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
AkihitoAkihitois the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the... - Fidel Valdez Ramos
- CardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Jaime Sin - PresidentPresidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Sergio OsmeñaSergio OsmeñaSergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65... - Sen. Lorenzo M. TañadaLorenzo TañadaLorenzo Martinez Tañada was a Filipino politician. Elected to the first Philippine Senate in 1947, he was the longest-serving senator in Philippine history. He served as a Philippine senator for 24 years.-Early life:...
- Jesus V. Ayala, 2011
Grand Commander
- Gilberto TeodoroGilberto TeodoroGilberto Eduardo Gerardo Cojuangco Teodoro, Jr. , or more commonly known as Gilbert/Gibo, is the former secretary of the national defense of the republic of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007 until November 15, 2009...
- Jaime Zobel de AyalaJaime Zobel de AyalaJaime Zobel y Fitz , also known as Jaime Zobel de Ayala, is a prominent Filipino businessman and philanthropist. He was the last managing partner of Ayala y Compañía in 1967 when the company changed to a corporation. He served as both president and chairman of Ayala Corporation from 1983 to 2005...
, 2009 - Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, 2010
- Fernando Zobel de AyalaFernando Zobel de AyalaFernando Zóbel may refer to:* Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president of Ayala Corporation* Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo, artist...
, 2010
Grand Officer
This rank was only established in 2003, and there have been no recipients of this rank to date.Commander
- Eulogio BalaoEulogio BalaoEulogio Balao was a Filipino soldier and politician.-Career:Balao joined the Philippine Constabulary as a young man and rose through its ranks. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Forces Far East...
- Carlos Romulo
- Gen. Alfredo M. SantosAlfredo M. SantosGeneral Alfredo M. Santos was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1962 to 1965, making him the first four-star general of the Philippines' armed forces....
- Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna
- Benigno Aquino, Jr
- Sotero B. Cabahug, 1959
- Jorge B Vargas, 1960
Legionnaire
This article incorporates public domainPublic domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
text from the library of the Philippine Congress.