He returned to the place where he struggled to become a great political leader of the province.

The remains of Governor Carlos Mapili Padilla was finally laid to rest at their residence in Sitio Anting, barangay Malasin in this town in May 13 with gun salute as an honor from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP).

Padilla’s remains was transported through a funeral convoy of supporters and relatives from the Convention Center at the Provincial Capitol in Bayombong town where he was temporarily placed for public viewing since the night of May 11 for grieving Novo Vizcayanos to St. Anne Church of this town for a mass before he was brought to rest at his residence.

Church bells in the neighboring town of Dupax del Sur rang as his convoy passed the Poblacion proper towards Dupax del Norte town. Both towns were still one during Padilla's stint as the youngest Mayor. 

Padilla, 78 who succumbed to Acute Myocardial Infarction in the early morning of May 5 at his residence was brought to the Congress in May 11 for the final respects of his former colleagues as former House Deputy Speaker and Minority Leader in the 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Congresses.

Expression of sympathy among Novo Vizcayanos filled the sidewalks with his photos thanking Padilla for his unselfish and endless service to the province as the convoy passed the towns of Bambang and Aritao while a throng of government officials, workers, supporters and mourners lined up on the roadside before the St. Anne Church in Dupax del Norte expressing their respects and farewell for the passing of their native son and fellow Dupajeno.

Senator Robin Padilla and his brother Rommel attended the offered mass for Padilla’s burial in Dupax del Norte along with hundreds of political leaders of the province, friends and relatives.

Padilla’s wife, former Governor Ruth thanked Novo Vizcayanos for their sympathy and support to their family where she was “ drawing her strength in their time of grief and sorrow”.

Padilla who was currently serving his third term as Governor of Nueva Vizcaya spent most of his 29 years of political career in Congress after serving as Mayor of the then undivided Dupax town where he grew up as a shoe shine boy to support his schooling.

As Representative of the province, he authored major bills on education, creating 45 elementary and secondary schools in the province and poured support for the development of Farm-to-Market Roads, among others.

He served as member of the Commission on Appointments (CA), House of Representative Electoral Tribunal (HRET) and Co-Chairperson of the Educational Development Commission (EDCom).

Padilla authored RA 6655 or the Free Public Secondary Education in the Philippines, RA 6728 or Private Education Student Financial Assistance Scholarship, Educational Service Contracting (ESC) Program, creation of the National Commission on Culture and the arts (NCCA) and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF).

He initiated the merging of the Nueva Vizcaya State Polytechnic College (NVSPC) and the Nueva Vizcaya Institute of Technology (NVSIT) into Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) and the establishment of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) – Cagayan Valley Campus.

His heart, compassion and endless services and assistance on the plight and welfare of the IPs made him as a father among the tribal folks and a great leader for Novo Vizcayanos in general. (OTB/BME/PIA NVizcaya)