LOS ANGELES — Dr. Oscar Lictaoa Jornacion, a Filipino-American entrepreneur, publisher, certified public accountant and philanthropist whose business and media ventures extended across the United States and the Philippines, passed away on April 25, 2026. He was 74.
A resident of Jurupa Valley, California, Jornacion built a career that moved from accounting into publishing, broadcasting, printing, real estate investment and community philanthropy, becoming a recognized figure in Filipino-American business and civic circles in Southern California.
Born on October 13, 1951 in San Juan, La Union, Philippines, Jornacion graduated magna cum laude from the University of the East in Manila in 1973 with a degree in Business Administration major in Accounting. He later earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California in 1982 under a scholarship grant.
In 2015, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines conferred upon him a Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa in recognition of his professional achievements and philanthropic contributions.
Jornacion obtained his Certified Public Accountant license in the Philippines in 1974 and in California in 1976 before expanding into entrepreneurship and media-related ventures.
He established several Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas during a period of growing Filipino migration and community formation in the western United States.
Among his publishing ventures was the California Examiner, launched in the early 1980s, along with regional publications that included the San Diego Examiner and Nevada Examiner. He also owned and operated Radio Manila broadcasting platforms in Los Angeles and San Diego that carried Philippine news, music and cultural programming for Filipino immigrant audiences.
Radio Manila later became one of the recognizable Filipino-American broadcast platforms in Southern California during a formative period for diaspora media. In 2024, former Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León highlighted Eagle Rock’s Filipino-American legacy during the dedication of a sign honoring the community, noting that the neighborhood was once home to the pioneering 24-hour Radio Manila station. The recognition coincided with Philippine Independence Day commemorations honoring the continuing contributions of Filipino Americans to Los Angeles civic and cultural life.
Beyond publishing and broadcasting, Jornacion expanded into web offset printing operations specializing in newspapers and books, media and trade expositions, real estate investing and leasing ventures, and healthcare-related businesses.
He owned and managed various real estate properties, including the LAN Mark Shopping Center in California, commercial buildings, residential rentals, and residential and commercial acreages and lots in eight states in the United States: California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Hawaii and Utah.
Among those holdings was the LAN Mark Shopping Center in California, a commercial property with approximately 100,000 square feet of leasable space situated on roughly 300,000 square feet of land. Jornacion was regarded in Filipino-American business circles as one of the few Filipino owners of a shopping center of that scale in the United States.
Beyond business, Jornacion remained active in academic, civic and alumni organizations. He served as commencement speaker for the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 2015 and for the University of the East in 2010.
He also authored The Study of Executive Career Versus Entrepreneurship, reflecting his interest in leadership, business development and entrepreneurship.
Over the years, he received recognitions from universities, civic organizations and local governments, including the University of the East Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2009 and recognition among the university’s Top 75 Alumni during its 75th anniversary celebration in 2021.
Much of Jornacion’s later public life focused on philanthropy. Institutional and family-provided records state that he donated to various charities in the United States and the Philippines.
Family-provided materials identify him as the largest donor of the PUP Tahanan ng Atleta, a three-story building at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila that provides housing for more than 200 student-athletes. Those same records also state that he was a major donor to the La Union High School Library in La Union, Philippines; donated a community center building in Iloilo; donated a health center building in Sto. Rosario, San Juan, La Union; sponsored several scholars; and donated scholarship funds to the University of the Philippines Manila.
Jornacion is survived by his wife, Gilda Arroyo Jornacion; sons Grant and Gary; daughter-in-law Rexy; and grandsons Geron and Gio.
His career reflected the trajectory of many first-generation Filipino immigrants who transformed professional training into broader entrepreneurial and community-building endeavors in the United States. Through publishing, broadcasting, business ventures and philanthropy, Jornacion helped build institutions that connected Filipino communities across California and beyond.
