The beloved actor and director leaves behind a legacy of talent, kindness and unforgettable memories.
Award-winning actor and director Ricky Davao was cremated Sunday and will be in Heritage Memorial Park until tomorrow for family and friends.
After the initial shock when the news about his death spread on Labor Day, people started posting heartfelt tributes to this valuable member of our industry who made it a point to be present and available to all.
Bibeth Orteza, the “Pambansang Eulogist,” was quick to note, “If I had to choose my favorite story about our dearly just departed, this would be it.
“One night, in 1982, a group of ‘loveless’ women gathered at the Cafe Adriatico, to analyze why we could not find fulfilling relationships: Helen Vela (+), Coney Reyes, Susan Valdez, Chato Villanueva, and others I can’t recall as of now, in this emotional re-telling.
“There was only one man with us. A young student just about beginning to get acting jobs, and also joining acting workshops. He kept quiet while we talked, laughed and cried. Someone suggested: ‘Why don’t we just turn lesbian? After all, we’re independent women who’ve proven ourselves capable of taking care of a family, without just depending on men?’
“A beat. And, without meaning to cast aspersion on lesbian friends, another blurted out: “But can we seriously eat pussy?”
“Silence.
“Our lone male companion quietly stood up and went outside. We thought he left to give us privacy. He returned shortly after, with a rose for each of us. He bought roses for women feeling unloved one Valentine’s Day, with his student’s allowance.”
During the first night of the wake, Bibeth joked that after Pilita Corrales and Nora Aunor died, Ricky must have been thinking that he would be next – because this usually comes in threes. Unfortunately, Hajji Alejandro went ahead. Bibeth said, “Ricky must have said, hindi niyo ba talaga ako sineseryoso bilang singer?”
During the wake, people readily passed the microphone; something that cannot be done if Ricky held on to the mic whenever he had the chance.
Dingdong Dantes, League of Filipino Aktor’s chairman, penned a very heartfelt piece on Ricky. He said, “There are people you meet in this industry whom you admire from afar long before you get the chance to shake their hand. For me, Ricky Davao was one of them. I would spot him at parties, events, and industry gatherings — and almost without fail, he’d find his way to the stage. Not to grab attention, but to give joy. One song in, and the entire room would shift. All eyes on him. All ears tuned in. And just like that, he owned the moment.”
He recalled the time he worked with Ricky, describing Ricky’s incredible presence as “commanding, joyful, magnetic” and said the actor-director lit up stage and screen with ”a blend of brilliance, warmth, and generosity.”
On the set of “Alternate,” which they shot during the pandemic and where they played father and son, Dingdong recalled precious “quiet, in-between moments.”
“There’s one morning I won’t forget. We were having coffee, and he was talking about intermittent fasting. He couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working. I asked him, ‘Tito Ricky, wag ka na mag-3-in-1. Try black coffee. Mas masarap. And you’ll stay in a fasted state.’ He took the advice, laughed, and updated me every morning after that. It was a simple exchange—but it showed me who he was. Curious. Open. Sincere. Fatherly in the truest sense.”
Ricky was generous, in front and behind the cameras, with his smile and with his heart, said Dingdong/
“Tito/Direk Ricky didn’t just perform; he gave. Whether as a singer, actor, director, or simply as himself in quiet conversations over coffee or walks around a set, he gave his truth, his laughter, his guidance. And that smile—that Chinito smile that would vanish into crescents of pure joy—remains imprinted in the hearts of everyone who knew him, worked with him, learned from him, and loved him.
“He exits the stage now, not with finality, but with grace. Leaving behind echoes of music, traces of masterful performances, the warmth of his fatherly ways, and the kind of good vibes that linger long after the last song has been sung.
“Maraming salamat, Tito Ricky. You made our industry, our work, and our lives richer. This curtain call is not goodbye. It’s simply our standing ovation.”
Singer-actress and AKTOR officer Agot Isidro referred to Ricky as “Froots!”
She shared, “Ilang beses din kitang naging scene partner, mula Okidok The Movie, sa Oka Tokat (5 years! Rona and Jack), Kung Paano Ka Nawala, and recently sa Larawan. Always jolly, ready to hog the mic, nakangiti, may bimpo sa balikat kasi ubod ng pawisin. Always ready to step in to make the scene better, as actor and director. You just let your work speak for yourself. Kept your life private, bubunot lang ng phone to show pics of the kids. Kung may bad day ka, di namin nakita. Walang masamang tinapay sa yo. And kung may chichika ako sa yo, di ka lang iimik. Ayaw pumatol sa chismis. A true gentleman.”
She remembers him being ecstatic for her Famas win.
“Ikaw nag announce ng panalo ko sa Famas at na-feel ko na proud ka sa akin. And sobrang special moment sa akin yun. Not only because you’re my friend but I regard you as one of the best actors in the industry. In all aspects. Talent, generosity, and professionalism.
“Hay Froots, mami-miss ka ng industriya at ng mga nagmamahal sa yo. Mami-miss kita. Mahal kita.”
“Star for all Seasons” Vilma Santos said thank you to his “kumpare.”
“Our prayers and condolences. REST IN PEACE PARE KO. We Will Miss You, Sir Ricky Davao. SALAMAT!”
Unforgettable is Ricky and Ate Vi’s Viva movie, “Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig?,” (1987) directed by Eddie Garcia.
Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairperson Jose Javier Reyes held Ricky close to his heart: “I have known you for decades. And I had this running joke which you knew so well. I told people, ‘Never make the mistake of handing him the microphone … because you will never be able to get it back.’
The writer-director fondly recalls Ricky’s playful nature, noting how the actor would feign shyness about singing but would eagerly perform at the slightest nudge.
“But that is you. That was you,” Direk Joey said. “I will remember you for the movies we made together. When I filmed ‘Minsan May Isang Puso’ with the young Carlo Aquino and the late Jaclyn Jose as well as Ana Capri, I was certain that the role of the pained panadero wrestling with a bitter past and using his cynicism as defense can only be personified by you.
“When I watched your performance in the Cinemalaya film of Edong Roy entitled ‘F—kbois,’ you were literally guffawing when you shouted two rows away saying that you based your character from my idiosyncratic behavior. I cringed. And laughed.
“At times when you are not singing, we were laughing. And I am going to miss that.”
“Maybe because I got to know you more than just the actor on my set … or doing that role in theater directed by the late Tony Espejo which I adapted from ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’
“I am sad.
“I am so heartbroken because a beautiful, loving and caring man left us. I knew for the past few months that you were in pain — and I do not know whether I should feel relieved that you have not ended that suffering … or feel lost that you have joined the so many in our community who left so dramatically if not unceremoniously.
“But I will remember you as a friend more than anything else. And a terrific human being who made anyone but everyone feel loved and wanted.
“Goodbye, Frederick Charles. Maraming kaming lumuluha pero nakakasiguro kami na yakap ka na ngayon ng Dakilang Ama nating lahat at doon sa langit … naghahanap ka ng microphone para kantahan silang lahat.”
We will always remember Ricky Davao for his brave and brilliant performances as an actor, and his charming and persevering stance as a singer. But most of all, his greatest and most remarkable role was being a friend, almost a family member to us all, because Ricky made sure that he was present in our lives. His presence mattered because it was always heartfelt and full of love. We will truly miss him so much.
Thank you and Godspeed Ricky!
