In a poignant tribute that moved the Filipino entertainment industry and beyond, veteran actress Jackie Lou Blanco paid her final respects to former husband Ricky Davao, a celebrated actor, director, and devoted father, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer. Though their romantic paths had long since diverged, Jackie Lou’s words echoed a connection that time, distance, and circumstance never truly erased.

Her tribute began with a video of Ricky, vibrant and full of life, singing at the Pinoy Playlist Music Festival in 2019. Originally shared by their talent manager Noel Ferrer with the caption, “Araw-gabi… Nasa isip ka… SALAMAT AT PAALAM, Ricky Davao!," the post stirred waves of nostalgia.

Deepening the sentiment was a tender photo of Ricky with Jackie Lou’s late mother, Pilita Corrales, the Asia’s Queen of Songs, who herself passed just weeks earlier.

But it was Jackie Lou’s own words, simple yet deeply heartfelt, that captured the depth of her grief and enduring affection: “I know you are singing in Heaven. You will forever be missed. I love you.”

A bond that never truly broke

Despite the end of their marriage, Jackie Lou and Ricky remained bound by their shared love and commitment to their three children: Kenneth, Rikki Mae, and Ara. In a candid interview in June 2023, Jackie Lou expressed her lingering regrets:

“Sana hindi kami naghiwalay ni Ricky kung mababago ko siya only because I can see how affected my children were.”

Her reflection revealed not bitterness, but a mother’s longing — for what might have been, in the name of her children.

Their separation, while painful, was marked by mutual respect. As co-parents, they supported each other’s milestones, celebrated family moments, and stayed present in each other’s lives — quietly proving that love, though it may change form, never truly disappears.

A legacy of two icons

Jackie Lou Blanco, the daughter of music royalty Pilita Corrales, has forged her own path in Philippine entertainment as an actress, singer, and television host. From the variety show "Student Canteen" to acclaimed dramatic roles, she has become one of the industry’s most enduring talents. Her life, like Ricky’s, is marked by artistic evolution and quiet resilience—qualities now tested by the loss of two profound figures within weeks of each other.

Ricky Davao, remembered for his decades-long impact on Philippine film and television, left a legacy not only as a performer but as a father and friend. His daughter Ara Davao confirmed his passing: “He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his children and loved ones, after bravely facing complications related to cancer.”

The song goes on

Grief, in many ways, is a duet — one voice now silent, the other continuing the melody alone. In Jackie Lou Blanco’s tribute, we hear that lone voice still singing, carrying not just sorrow, but remembrance, gratitude, and enduring love.

As she bids farewell to the father of her children and a fellow artist, Jackie Lou’s message becomes both closure and continuation: a reminder that even in silence, the song of love, once shared, never truly ends.

“You will forever be missed. I love you.”