LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines — Mario “Mar” Arguelles, a correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer based in Legazpi City in Albay province, died of liver cancer complications on Friday night. He was 71.
Arguelles joined the Inquirer as a correspondent of the Southern Luzon Bureau in 2009, shortly after retiring as the information center manager of the government-run Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Albay.
As a senior Inquirer correspondent, Arguelles was at the forefront of news coverage of major events happening not just in Albay but also in the provinces of Masbate and Sorsogon.
Even before he joined the PIA and later the Inquirer, Arguelles was already a contributing writer for two national dailies in the 1990s. He also wrote for various local papers in the Bicol region, including Bicol Mail, Dyaryo Bikol and Weekly Digest.
Arguelles’ wife, Clarita, died because of lung cancer only on March 5 this year. The couple are survived by their children Mark Vincent, 42, and Mario Sebastian Jr., 40.
His family said they will hold a wake for a few days at the St. Peter Chapels in Barangay Bogtong in Legazpi City before his remains are cremated.
—MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES AND MICHAEL JAUCIAN
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