CREATING A DECORATION TO BE KNOWN AS THE MEDAL OF HONOR AND PRESCRIBING RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ITS AWARD

There is hereby created a decoration to be known as the Medal of Honor to be awarded to any citizen of the Philippines, who, subsequent to the establishment of the Commonwealth Government performs an act of extraordinary heroism in the protection of life and liberty at the grave peril of his own life beyond the call of duty, or who renders notably meritorious services of singular value to the State while performing functions of private or public nature that are of non-military character.

The award of the Medal of Honor shall be governed by the following rules and regulations:

1. No medal shall be issued to any person after more than three years from the date of the act justifying the award nor unless an official statement or report distinctly setting forth the heroic act or meritorious service and suggesting or recommending public recognition thereof shall have been made within two years after its performance, provided that acts of heroism and meritorious services accomplished prior to the issuance of this order but after the inauguration of the Commonwealth Government may be recommended for recognition and the corresponding medal award within three years from the date hereof.

2. No medal shall be issued to any person who has been dishonorably discharged from the military or civil service or from any position of trust or responsibility under the government, nor to any person whose entire record of service in the government in whatever capacity subsequent to the time he distinguished himself shall not have been honorable.

3. The heads of all executive departments of the government are hereby authorized and directed to make recommendations to the Chief Executive from time to time for the award of this decoration to deserving citizens.

4. The Philippine Army is hereby designated as the agency charged with the mechanical details of procurement and presentation of the award.

Done at the City of Manila, this 17th day of January in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and forty, and of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the fifth.

By the President:

(Sgd.) JORGE B. VARGAS
Secretary to the President