Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President praised Magalona, who died last Friday from his battle with leukemia, for his significant contributions to the local music industry as well as for spreading love for country among the Filipino youth in his own creative way.

"The President commends the contribution of Francis Magalona to the promotion of patriotism and love of country through his love for music," Remonde said. "She joins the nation in mourning the death of the young artist," he added.

Presidential adviser on culture Cecil Guidote-Alvarez said the President is expected to confer post-humously the Presidential Medal of Merit to Magalona, son of the 1950s movie actors Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, for his "makabayan" achievements in the Philippine music industry.

Alvarez, also executive director of the National Commission on the Culture and Arts (NCCA), said she has yet to confirm the schedule of the awarding rites in Malacañang.

"Most likely the President will recognize this contribution of Francis Magalona as a makabayan composer, as a good symbol of a king of rap who cared to use the form to engage the youth in positive action," she said in a phone interview. Alvarez added that Magalona's lyrics were "meant to share good thoughts of citizenship, of caring for the country."

Alvarez recalled that Magalona supported the garbage recycling campaign by the Earthsavers movement through his "basurap" wherein he engaged the people in recycling their wastes.