President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paid his respects to the family of the late Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo “Dax” Cua on Wednesday, remembering the veteran public servant “as a colleague whose work I valued and relied on. And above all, as a friend.”
Joined by his son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, alongside key Cabinet members including Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, the President attended Cua’s wake at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City.
Other high-ranking government officials present to offer their sympathies included Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., and Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim Robert De Leon.
Expressing his grief, the President reflected on his personal and professional bond with the late leader.
“I came to say goodbye to Dax as President, leading the Executive and Cabinet contingent. As a colleague whose work I valued and relied on. And above all, as a friend,” Marcos sajd in a social media post.
“To his wife, Midy, and his parents, Junie and Angela, my deepest condolences. And to his three children, whom I had the chance to meet, I am so sorry about your dad,” he added.
Cua died on September 15 at 48 years old, leaving behind a quarter-century record in government. Marcos emphasized that while Cua spent 25 years dedicated to public duty, “his legacy will always be closest to home, in Quirino, in the communities he helped build and in the lives he made better.”
“Let us only hope that we can live up to the legacy that he has left for us. Rest well, Dax. You will be deeply missed,” Marcos said.
Cua entered public service in 2001 at age 23 when he was elected vice governor of Quirino, making history as the nation’s youngest elected vice governor at the time. He held the post until 2007 before serving as governor from 2007 to 2010, and later returning to the gubernatorial post in 2019, where he served until his passing. In the interim, he represented Quirino’s lone district in the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2019.
Beyond his home province, Cua was a prominent figure in local governance networks, holding top leadership roles as national president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, national chairperson of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, and president of the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific.