State of mourning declared in Cebu City in memory of Rep. Raul del Mar
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City has been placed under a state of mourning from November 17 to 22, 2020, in memory of North District Representative Raul del Mar, who passed away on Monday evening, November 16, 2020.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella issued the executive order on Monday, ordering all flags in the city to remain under half-mast for the duration of the mourning period.
“In recognition and acknowledgement of the many contributions of Rep. Raul Del Mar, I am declaring a week of mourning throughout Cebu City from Nov. 17 to 22 through Executive Order No. 106.”
“A grateful city deeply mourns his passing. Throughout the week, I am ordering all government agencies, offices, and installations within the City of Cebu to lower their Philippine flag to half-mast,” said Labella.
The family of Del Mar has yet to issue a statement over his death and there is still no information whether the body of the late congressman will be brought home to Cebu.
Still, Cebuanos have started to pay tribute to the well-loved congressman through online postings.
Read: Cebuano leaders mourn death of Raul Del Mar
Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the leader of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) where Del Mar belonged to, said that the late congressman was so diligent that he refused to be absent in a session despite him being recently released from an operation.
Read: Abellanosa pays tribute to Delmar in House Plenary
“I had to help him carry his intravenous bottle as he dragged himself to the Session Hall. This conviction is the hallmark of what makes Raul Del Mar who he is,” said Osmeña.
Osmeña also acknowledged the undefeated congressman as one of the leaders who built Cebu to what it is today, creating laws that led to the institutionalization of the Cebu Port Authority and the Mactan Airport Authority, the first of their kind in allowing Cebu to manage its own affairs instead of being remotely micromanaged by the national government.
“Raul Del Mar did more than his share. He fought our traditionally capital-centric government for resources other cities outside the NCR could only dream of. He was a trusted warrior who fought for Cebu and stood beside BOPK since 1988 through all the ups and downs. I am proud to call him my cousin,” said Osmeña.
Consquently, the Cebu Port Authority also paid tribute to the man behind their institutionalization.
From what used to be a Port Management Office (PMO) of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Del Mar authored and pushed for the enactment of Republic Act No. 7621 on June 26, 1992, which vested the CPA with the mandate to administer all ports located in Cebu Province, thus effectively separating these ports from the PPA system.
In 1996, CPA began its operation as an autonomous port authority. Now, the Port of Cebu is one of the largest domestic ports in the Philippines. “All thanks to the hardwork, vision, and dedication of Cong. Raul Del Mar, who believed in the Cebuanos’ indomitable spirit for excellence and service. It is with heavy hearts that we honor and say goodbye to the father of CPA. Thank you for sharing with us your meaningful and fruitful life,” said CPA in a statement. The Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), which is now one of the busiest airports in the country, also bid farewell to its father. “Today, we bid farewell to the father of the MCIAA Charter, the Honorable Raul Veloso Del Mar. Without him, the MCIAA will not be here today. Because of his vision, we are what we are, world-class and admired, always triumphant and resilient, reaching again for the skies despite the challenges throughout our thirty years,” said Delmar. The BOPK will be hosting a sponsored mass for the congressman on November 18, 2020, and the public is invited to watch it live on Facebook in the account of Erik Toquero Orio. “Please join us as we share our prayers and gratitude for one of Cebu’s most loyal servants,” said Osmeña. /bmjoDisclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
