I've known Ricky Davao for ages.
When he was still an Industrial Engineering student at the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT)—when it wasn't run by the Yuchengcos yet—I knew him.
As an entertainment writer who was kind of close to my late colleague Nap Gutierrez who was still in school at MIT at the time while writing about sports and showbiz, I would see Ricky in the campus when I dropped by to see and visit friend Radi Patawaran, a buddy of a lot of showbiz people, a contemporary of the actor.
I remember I would talk to Davao and write about him, however, in a short feature in the fanzines and tabloids I was writing for.
When he became a full-time actor on TV, film and stage, the more I would see and talk to him.
He was such a conversant about practically anything under the sun especially his craft as an actor.
We have eventually developed a certain friendship that would last until his last breath.
I might not see him often but when we saw each other, there was a brotherly connection between us.
Aside from interviewing about his latest film and television assignments, he was also singing on invitational intimate music events of literary giant and award-winning screenwriter Jose F. Lacaba, better known as Pete Lacaba.
You see, Pete has translated English and other foreign pop and classic songs to Filipino like “’Yun Lang” from the ballad “That’s All.”
Ricky would breathe life to these poetic translations of Pete to the delight of the audience.
Lacaba-translated songs or not, Davao had this melodious, versatile voice that can make even the simplest yet insightful music come alive and meaningful.
Meanwhile, the last stage play Ricky did was the Filipino translation of the French play "A Flea in Her Ear" written by Georges Feydeau "Baka Naman Hindi," in the vernacular was adapted from the farcical French theater by Virgilio "Beer" Flores, produced by Nick Lizaso and directed by Dennis Marasigan.
Local show business will never be the same again without Ricky Davao
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