| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honorable | ||||||||||||
| Francisco Garcia Rabat | |||||||||||||
| Order: | 4th | ||||||||||||
| Office: | Governor of Davao Oriental | ||||||||||||
| Term Start: | 1978 | ||||||||||||
| Term End: | 1986 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor: | Teodoro Palma Gil | ||||||||||||
| Successor: | Josefina Sibala | ||||||||||||
| Office1: | Mayor of Mati | ||||||||||||
| Term Start1: | June 30, 2001 | ||||||||||||
| Term End1: | June 30, 2007 | ||||||||||||
| Successor1: | Michelle Nakpil Rabat | ||||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Francisco Garcia Rabat | ||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 19 June 1934 | ||||||||||||
| Death Place: | Davao City, Philippines | ||||||||||||
| Nationality: | Filipino | ||||||||||||
| Spouse: | Merced Edith Nakpil | ||||||||||||
| Children: | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Module: |
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Francisco "Paking" Garcia Rabat (June 19, 1934[1] – July 19, 2008[2]) was a Filipino politician and basketball player.[3]
Rabat was a member of the Philippine national basketball team and was part of the squad that won the bronze medal at the 1954 FIBA World Championship, the best finish ever by the country in the World Championships, losing only to the United States and Brazil.[4] He was given the monicker, "Rajah of Rebound".[2] At 18 years old, Rabat was also the youngest player in the squad.[5] In college basketball, he played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles and was the MVP in the 1953 NCAA basketball championship.[5]
Rabat served as Governor of Davao Oriental from 1978 to 1986.[6] As governor, he oversaw the project for the Mati Airport.[7] He also served as the mayor of Mati. With Joel Mayo Almario, whose family is a political rival of the Rabats, Rabat successfully lobbied for the cityhood of Mati. Mati, a former municipality, became a component city on June 19, 2007, after a plebiscite held the day before.[1] He sought re-election in 2007 local elections but withdrew his bid after he was diagnosed with cancer. His daughter Michelle Nakpil Rabat campaigned in his stead and was elected, becoming Mati's second mayor as a component city.[2]
Rabat died on July 19, 2008, while confined at the Davao Doctors Hospital due to cancer.[8]
He was married with Edith Nakpil, a former beauty queen who competed in the Miss Philippines pageant. Rabat had four sons and a daughter with Nakpil.[3]