Philippine President Benigno Aquino has declared a "national day of remembrance" for the country's most popular comedian Dolphy who died earlier this week, his spokeswoman said Thursday.
Aquino set July 13, as the day for Dolphy following his death at the age of 83 from a pulmonary disease, said spokeswoman Abigail Valte.
"He was unparalleled in tapping into our inherently jovial spirit, that both challenges and triumphs could be met with optimism and cheer," the declaration read.
It also lauded Dolphy for his philanthropy as well as his contribution to the arts.
Earlier on Thursday, Aquino had attended the wake of the comedian, born Rodolfo Vera Quizon, at an upscale cemetery in a Manila suburb.
"I truly respect our King of Comedy. I believe he helped many people through his art that he practised throughout his long life. He was a generous man and more of us need to learn from his example," Aquino said.
Thousands of Filipinos have been paying their respects to the hugely popular star since his death on Tuesday after a month in hospital, while television networks paid tribute by giving non-stop coverage to the funeral wake.
Dolphy was widely regarded as the Philippines' "King of Comedy" in a career that spanned seven decades during which he played colourful comedic roles, from a cross-dressing homosexual to a poor jack of all trades.
Since his death, there has been heated debate over why the government had not declared him a "national artist" before he passed away. Aquino has said he is in favour of giving such a posthumous honor to the late comedian.
