To be awarded the Philippine Independence Medal, a service member must have previously received both the
Philippine Defense Medal and the
Philippine Liberation Medal (authority for wear must be recorded before 24 November 1954). 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 from October 1944 to September 1945. The decoration was also authorized for award to the United States and other foreign militaries, with a number of retroactive awards presented between 1945 and 1948. A famous American recipient was
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The Philippine Independence Medal was originally awarded as a
service ribbon only, and it was not until 1968, that a full-sized medal was authorized and added by President
Ferdinand Marcos. ==Notable recipients==