Quirino Gov. ‘Dax’ Cua dies at 48

QUIRINO PROVINCE — Families, relatives, friends, and residents of Quirino Province are mourning the passing of Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo “Dax” Cua.

Cua was said to have died on the evening of 15 September at the age of 48, according to reports from close associates and employees within the provincial administration.

As of this writing, his family members and representatives from the provincial government have not issued a public statement clarifying the precise cause or circumstances of his death.

The governor was raised in a family deeply involved in local politics, as the son of long-time public officials Junie Cua and Maria Angela Cua. He completed his tertiary education at the University of the Philippines (UP), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

In 2001, he began his career in public office at age 23 upon winning the vice governorship of Quirino, becoming the youngest elected vice governor in the country at the time, before eventually being elected to his first term as governor in 2007.

Transitioning to the national legislature, Cua served as representative for the Lone Congressional District of Quirino from 2010 to 2019. During his period in the House of Representatives (HoR), he led key policy discussions as chairperson of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

His legislative accomplishments included primary authorship of Republic Act 10230, which merged three higher education institutions to create Quirino State University, along with serving as a primary author of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

Upon returning to the executive post as provincial governor in 2019, Cua directed state resources toward local economic sustainability, agricultural efficiency, and public works development.

His executive programs included the Q LIFE initiative aimed at livelihood expansion, the I Love Quirino project geared toward tourism and administrative ethics, and comprehensive land-use planning intended to convert Quirino into an agro-industrial and eco-tourism hub.

Parallel to his duties at the provincial capitol, Cua held prominent positions in national local government organizations. He assumed leadership roles as national president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines and chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.