Carmelito ‘CQ’ Francisco, Inquirer Davao correspondent; 54

Carmelito Francisco

DAVAO CITY—Best known for his love of coffee and his humor on the job, Carmelito Q. Francisco, Inquirer correspondent for Davao, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday night, only hours short of his 55th birthday.

Fondly called “Q” or “CQ” by media colleagues, Francisco was meeting with friends at Café Tavera here at 7 p.m. on Wednesday when he collapsed, prompting a doctor present to try to revive him before he was taken by personnel of Emergency 911 to Davao Doctors Hospital.

His passing sent the Davao media community into deep mourning.

Francisco, also the managing editor of Mindanao Times, started out as a reporter for Ang Peryodiko Dabaw, a local newspaper that was bought by owners of the Cebu City-based SunStar Daily and which eventually became SunStar Davao. In 2002, he joined the Mindanao Times as its business editor. Before joining the Inquirer three years ago, Francisco used to write for BusinessWorld.

Francisco also chaired the Davao chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines from 2007 to 2009.

Colleagues and acquaintances described him as humble and unassuming—someone who would not abandon friends.

Francisco’s fragile health condition had required him to work from home even as the country gradually recovered from the lockdowns and other restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic; that’s why, friends were glad to see him during their meetup on Wednesday night.

Olive Velasco, Edge Davao president and general manager, said she was so happy to see Francisco on Wednesday because they had not seen each other for a long time. Velasco, also the former general manager of SunStar Davao, said she did not realize it would be their last meeting.

Francisco is survived by his wife Leslie, who said she would miss their road trips together and playtime with their nieces and nephews.

He was buried following traditional Muslim rites on Thursday, his birthday, at Barangay Tagabakid in Mati, Davao Oriental, where his family lives.

—GERMELINA LACORTE

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