BAGUIO CITY — A veteran community journalist died of a heart attack Monday morning while covering the opening day of classes at a local elementary school, colleagues and authorities said. He was 61.
Mhar Dilao Oclaman had accompanied his son to the Manuel A. Roxas Elementary School on 8 June and was taking photographs of the annual school opening when he experienced chest pains and collapsed on a curb.
A bystander performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene, but Oclaman was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital.
Oclaman worked in the media industry for more than two decades, beginning his career at the family-owned Diyaryo Baguio. He later worked as a reporter for Amianan Balita Ngayon before founding the Filipino News Sentinel, an online news platform.
Throughout his career, Oclaman was an active member and leader in local media organizations, serving as an officer for both the Cordillera PNP Press Corps and the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club Inc.
Local journalists remembered Oclaman as a dedicated professional known for his reliability, promptness, and consistent coverage of community events, natural disasters and regional developments.
He died while conducting what had long been a routine annual assignment for him.
