Ricky Davao was the most charming actor to ever inhabit the world of local show business. His being a charmer actually served him in good stead as he navigated the complexities of Philippine entertainment.

Born Frederick Charles Abiera Dabao on 30 May 1961, his mestizo good looks came as result of his Iberian-Arabic ancestry. His paternal grandmother was a Wahib, a name common in Middle Eastern countries.

Ricky’s father was the actor Charlie Davao (born Carlos Dabao), an Ilonggo who went to Manila to take up commerce in the University of the East, but ended up being a character actor for Sampaguita Pictures. The mother of Ricky was the former Emma Marie Abiera, a piano teacher. (Former teen star Anna Abiera was a cousin.)

To family members, Ricky was Ricky Boy when he behaved well at home. But when he had to dispense of his boundless energy and was being super playful, he was Ricky-tick to them.

In prep, he was enrolled at the St. Theresa’s College, Manila where Dina Bonnevie was a classmate. Several batches higher was Margie Moran.

Charlie Davao was a good provider. After Eddie Garcia, he became Sampaguita Pictures’ resident good-looking villain. When he turned freelance, he gained more fame — this time as an action star. Charlie was the lead actor in Code Name: Apollo. He also had a hit series called Zoom, Zoom Apollo on television.

Joys and pains

Life was happy at the Dabao home (in Makati). There were two other children then aside from Ricky: Bing, the eldest, and Emmalyn, who was nicknamed Mylene. She came after Ricky. One day, tragedy struck.

It was supposed to be just one of those uneventful days: the kids as usual were being prepared for school. Mylene, who was around four, was being playful and kept running around holding a bottle of Coke. All of a sudden, she tripped and fell face down. The Coca-Cola bottle broke and shattered into pieces. It could have been a minor accident, except shards of the broken glass pierced through her neck — hitting several arteries in the process. Everyone was around — all horrified — to witness her tragically die.

The Dabao family tried to get on with life after the tragedy. But who were they kidding? Charlie and Emma were utterly devastated with the death of Mylene. Their pain, thankfully, was alleviated somehow with the arrival of a new baby, Marianella.

Sadly, another painful chapter took place when Ricky was about nine years old. His mother became ill and got sicker by the day. It was with deep sorrow that Ricky recalled those dark moments, including the hospital episode when his mother breathed her last. Emma succumbed to TB meningitis.

Two years later, Charlie started dating again. When Ricky was 12, his father married Mary Grace Inigo, the sister of Cecile Inigo, who became famous as Philippine cinema’s Dabiana.

Though strict — having been reared in the old school ways — Grace was a loving stepmother to Ricky and his siblings. When she and Charlie, in fact, had their first child together, Grace welcomed the idea of their daughter being nicknamed Mylene — to honor the memory of the poor girl who died in that freak accident.

The second Mylene though eventually became Mymy since it reeked of more affection. Mymy later joined showbiz and became known as Mymy Davao. Mymy didn’t stay long in the acting profession. She now lives in the US and is married to an American.

The Charlie-Grace union also produced Charlon Davao, who played Gloria Diaz’s nephew in Eh, Kasi Babae. Charlon got into a teenage marriage with Maidu Morato, the daughter of actor and radio anchor Jimmy Morato, who died 17 December 2024. Charlon’s son, Anthony Davao, is now a Vivamax actor.