MANILA, April 21 -- House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday paid tribute to Pope Francis following the pontiff's death, remembering him as a compassionate leader who served as a "guiding light in times of darkness" for many Filipinos.

"It is with a heavy heart that I join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, whom we in Leyte - and across the Philippines - lovingly called 'Lolo Kiko'," Romualdez said in a statement.

Romualdez recalled the Pope's visit to Tacloban in 2015, just over a year after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated Eastern Visayas region, saying it showed the pontiff's compassion and solidarity with those suffering.

"I will never forget how he came to Tacloban in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, when our p...