Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commanding general of the Philippine Army (PA), was bestowed with the United States Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander) Medal for his “vital role in enhancing Philippine-U.S. (PH-US) defense ties”.
Galido received the award in a conferment ceremony held in Washington D.C., USA last Nov. 11.
“The US Legion of Merit award highlights Lt. Gen. Galido’s exemplary efforts to enhance PH-US defense ties and advance military objectives amid the fast-changing Indo-Pacific security landscape,” Col. Louie Dema-ala, PA spokesperson, said on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
“The said award is one of the highest honors conferred by the US Department of the Army to American servicemen, and political and military leaders of allied nations,” he added.
Galido took the helm of the PA as its 66th commanding general in August 2023.
According to the Legion of Merit citation, he “spearheaded the Army modernization efforts to select, procure and integrate several critical, technologically advanced capabilities and ensured his soldiers maintained the edge required to respond to threats, deter adversaries and interoperate with multination forces to defeat any foe.”
Galido has emphasized the importance of large-scale training exercises with allied and friendly nations, which is evident during the conduct of the first-ever Army-wide Combined Arms Training Exercise (CATEX) "Katihan" early this year.
The PA also engages the US Army in a series of high-impact combined and joint bilateral exercises such as "Salaknib" and "Balikatan" as part of the Army's strategic shift to territorial defense operations from internal security.
Galido joins a prestigious list of Filipino military leaders who have received the US Legion of Merit Medal, including the late former president Fidel V. Ramos, and the late former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, Gen. Alfredo M. Santos.