Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido received the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Defense Cooperation Medal from JGSDF Chief of Staff Gen. Morishita Yasunori in a conferment ceremony at the Intercontinental Sydney in Australia last July 12.

The award is in recognition of Galido’s contributions that significantly advanced the defense cooperation between the Philippine Army and the JGSDF and reinforced the strategic partnership between the two nations.

The award citation particularly highlights Galido's proactive participation in high-level multilateral defense dialogues such as the Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference , Land Forces Summit and Land Forces Pacific Symposium. It also highlighted Galido’s sustained commitment to promoting multilateral collaboration among the CORE FOUR nations,

The Philippines, Japan, the United States and Australia, through the Land Forces Dialogue and related initiatives.

The award noted Galido’s leadership of the Philippine Army and its participation in key bilateral and multilateral military exercises such as "Balikatan," "Salaknib," and "Yamasakura.”

This achievement “is of particular importance in the context of implementing the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement. Your exemplary service and unwavering dedication have greatly enhanced Japan’s security posture and deterrence architecture within the Indo-Pacific theater,” according to the citation presented by Yasunori.

In his gratitude speech, Galido expressed profound honor and humility on receiving the medal, describing it as "not only a symbol of friendship between the Philippines and Japan but also a reflection of the strong partnership and camaraderie built through mutual respect, cooperation, and shared purpose." Army Public Affairs