A photo posted by 🅿️ℹ️🅰🅰Ⓜ️🆒 (@piamagalona) on Oct 3, 2016 at 8:16pm PDT

MANILA - OPM icon Francis Magalona would have turned 52 on Tuesday. Sadly, he died at the age of 44 after a year-long battle with leukemia.

On Instagram, his family wished the late rapper a happy birthday.

"Today he would've turned 52. But I'm sure he still wouldn't have looked it!" said his daughter, actress Maxene. "Happy birthday to the coolest there ever was! I'm so proud to be your daughter! I salute you, papa!"

Francis' wife Pia added in the caption she wrote to accompany a throwback photo of him: "Happy would-be Birthday, my love. I see you in all our children. I love you! Watch over us, always, ok?"

A photo posted by Maxene Magalona (@maxenemagalona) on Oct 4, 2016 at 2:28am PDT

Radio-host and musician Saab also took to Instagram to share that she visited the grave of her father. She also had a simple birthday greeting for him.

A photo posted by Saab Magalona-Bacarro (@saabmagalona) on Oct 3, 2016 at 6:40pm PDT