The House of Representatives paid tribute to the late former Speaker Pro Tempore Raul A. Daza during a necrological service held at the Batasang Pambansa, honoring his more than 50 years in public office as a model of dedication, conviction and legislative service.
In a eulogy delivered on his behalf by Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand “Dinand” Hernandez, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III described Daza’s long-standing devotion to the nation and urged current public servants to draw inspiration from his legacy.
“Today, we gather as one House family to honor and remember a man who devoted more than five decades of his life to serving our country. Limampung taon mahigit. Mahigit kalahating siglo ng paglilingkod sa bayan,” the Speaker said. “Marami nang nagbago sa ating bansa. Marami nang administrasyon ang dumaan. Marami nang henerasyon ng mga Pilipino ang lumaki at nagkaroon ng sariling pamilya. But through all those years, one thing remained constant: Congressman Raul Daza’s commitment to public service.”
Daza first entered the House of Representatives in 1969 and served a total of seven terms as a legislator, holding key leadership posts such as Speaker Pro Tempore and Senior Deputy Speaker. Beyond his tenure in Congress, Daza served as Governor of Northern Samar for three terms from 2001 to 2010. His executive and administrative roles also included appointments as Deputy Minister of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and as Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Constitutional Reforms.
A lawyer and certified public accountant by profession, Daza chose public office over private practice, maintaining a strong connection to his home province throughout his national career. Speaker Dy, drawing from his own background as a former provincial governor, highlighted Daza’s focus on constituent welfare.
“Sa kabila ng kanyang mga narating, hindi niya nakalimutan ang Northern Samar at ang mga taong kanyang kinakatawan,” the Speaker noted. “Sa bawat batas na ating ginagawa, sa bawat programang ating isinusulong, at sa bawat desisyong ating pinipili, dapat nating isipin ang mga pamilyang umaasa sa atin.”
Highlighting Daza’s stance on national unity, Speaker Dy reminded lawmakers that political differences should be set aside when addressing the needs of the country.
“We may belong to different political parties. We may disagree on policies and on how best to address the problems of our country. But at the end of the day, we all serve the same Filipino people,” the Speaker stated. “At kapag kapakanan na ng ating mga kababayan ang pinag-uusapan, dapat nating isantabi ang ating mga pagkakaiba at magtulungan para sa ikabubuti ng bansa.”
In closing, Speaker Dy expressed gratitude to Daza’s family for supporting his decades of public work and reflected on the temporal nature of elected positions versus the permanence of service.
“Ang mga posisyong hawak natin ay pansamantala lamang. Darating ang panahon na matatapos ang ating termino at may ibang hahalili sa atin. Pero ang kabutihang nagawa natin para sa ating kapwa, ang mga taong natulungan natin, at ang mga prinsipyong pinanindigan natin—iyan ang mananatili,” Dy said. “Sa ngalan ng buong Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan, maraming salamat po, Congressman Raul Daza, sa inyong mahabang panahon ng paglilingkod sa ating bayan.”