DAGUPAN CITY – Officials in Pangasinan, the Agoo Basilica, and Diocese of Tarlac mourned the death of Pope Francis on Monday.

POPE Francis (AP)

“Paalam, Mahal na Santo Papa! Ang inyo pong buhay ay naging liwanag sa gitna ng dilim. Magsisilbi pong isang paalala sa aming lahat na ang tunay na lakas ay nasusukat sa kababaang-loob at pag-ibig sa kapwa,” Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas said in an online post.

“Sa bawat yakap mo sa mga inaapi, sa bawat salita mong puno ng awa, kami’y nabigyang liwanag at pag-asa. Maraming salamat, Pope Francis, sa pagiging tinig ng mga walang tinig. Mahal na mahal ka po namin. Hinding hindi ka po namin makakalimutan, Lolo Kiko!” Arenas added.

"Kaisa ang Lokal na Pamahalaan ng Mangaldan ng buong Simbahang Katolika at sa milyun-milyong mga mananampalataya sa buong mundo na taos-pusong nagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ng isang mapagkumbaba, makatao, at mapagmahal na lider ng simbahan – ang mahal na Santo Papa, si Pope Francis,” Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe de Vera-Parayno said.

“Kilala siya sa kanyang kababaang-loob, pagpili ng simpleng pamumuhay sa Casa Santa Marta sa halip na sa Apostolic Palace, at sa kanyang matibay na paninindigan para sa mga mahihirap at nasa laylayan ng lipunan.

“Ang kanyang mensahe ng awa, pagkakaisa, at pagkalinga sa kapwa ay naging tanglaw para sa mga Katoliko maging sa mga hindi mananampalataya sa buong mundo.

Sa kanyang labindalawang taong pamumuno, isinulong niya ang mga reporma sa Simbahang Katolika, kabilang ang mas bukas na pananaw sa LGBTQIA+ community, pagsuporta sa civil unions, at pagtutol sa death penalty.

“Nawa’y magpatuloy ang kanyang mga adhikain sa puso ng bawat isa, at magsilbing gabay sa ating paglalakbay tungo sa isang lipunang mas makatao at makatarungan.

“Muli, mula sa LGU at buong bayan ng Mangaldan sa pamumuno ni Mayor Bona Fe de Vera-Parayno, paalam at maraming salamat, Pope Francis.”

"Rest in Paradise, Pope Francis. Paalam, Lolo Kiko. Let us pray for the soul of the late Holy Father,” Binmaley Mayor Pete Merrera said.

"Let us pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis," the Agoo Basilica in Agoo, La Union, said.

“O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant that your departed servant Pope Francis, whom you made successor of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may happily enjoy forever in your presence in heaven the mysteries of your grace and compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth. Amen."

"Today, the church bells ring not just as tradition, but with sorrow in every strike. Pope Francis, the Holy Father, has died,” the Saint Raymund Nunnatos Parish in the Diocese Tarlac said.

“When a Pope passes, it is not only a moment of silence but of sound — solemn, slow, and heavy. The bells toll across cities and small towns alike, echoing the grief of millions. They speak what many cannot yet put into words: The Church has lost her shepherd. The ringing is not just an announcement; it is a prayer in itself. Each toll invites the faithful to stop — if only for a moment — and offer a prayer for the soul of a man who gave his life in service to Christ and to all of us. It is a way for the Church to mourn together, even from afar.

“Pope Francis was not just a leader in white robes. He was a man who walked with the poor, spoke of mercy, and reminded the world of the importance of tenderness, humility, and love. His voice now falls silent, but his echo remains in our hearts and in our homes. And so the bells ring. Not to frighten, but to remind. Not only that someone important has died — but that someone deeply loved has gone home to God.”