Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 337

Introduced by: REP. RACHEL MARGUERITE “CUTIE” DEL MAR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Raul V. Del Mar was the visionary of a legislator who pursued his
dreams of his home province Cebu in such laws as the Mactan-Cebu
International Airport Act and the Cebu Port Authority Act, and creation of
an international port and special economic zones.

Throughout his 29 years of public service, Del Mar also showed
concern for disadvantaged sectors of the nation, including the youth
(national school feeding program), women and children (Anti-Violence
Against Women and Children), community health (increasing bed capacity
and facilities of hospitals, patients who are detained for non-payment of
hospital bills or refused treatment in serious and emergency cases), senior
citizens, and those afflicted by drug addiction.

With two others.

‘Two other Cebuanos, with similar zeal and vision in their work for
community and nation, were Serging Osmefia, Jr. and Marcelo B. Fernan.
They are remembered by having Cebu’s first and second bridges respectively
named after them.

Raul V. Del Mar deserves similar recognition of his dedication and
success. The third Cebu-Mactan bridge, now tentatively known as CCLEX,
should be named after the late congressman. On top of his virtues as a
legislator, Del Mar was driven by a strong compassion for those who have
less in life and law.

The late congressman was known to have acted, continually and
persistently, on the idea of linking Cebu with Mactan through Cordova town.


Emulate his deeds.

According to the record, Raul V. Del Mar had unremittingly advocated
for the construction of an Undersea Tunnel from Cebu City to Shell Island
with a Coastal Road connection from Shell Island to Mactan Island. In
1989, Del Mar filed House Bill No. 2334 for the construction of said
undersea tunnel. The bill was not acted upon for lack of material time. But
in 1992, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019, the late Del Mar refiled
the proposed bill. Only his death on November 16, 2020 interrupted the
effort.

Half of the idea is still to be realized but the other half - the bridge - is
already done. Noteworthy is that Raul V. Del Mar was among the very few
who thought of, and acted on, the proposal to build an undersea tunnel or
bridge to connect Cordova to Cebu City.

For those reasons, it is fitting to name the present Cebu-Cordova
Link Expressway in memory of the late Raul V. Del Mar. He more than
deserved the recognition, for his over-all accomplishments as a Cebuano
congressman. His name will inspire Cebuanos and many others in the
country to emulate his work.

Approval of this bill is therefore earnestly recommended.

RACHEL nahi “eras DEL MAR


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

337

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: REP. RACHEL MARGUERITE “CUTIE” DEL MAR

AN ACT
NAMING THE CEBU-CORDOVA LINK EXPRESSWAY TO
RAUL V. DEL MAR BRIDGE

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway that connecting the
Mactan Island to mainland Cebu Mactan Island via Cordova and Cebu City is

hereby named Raul V. Del Mar Bridge.

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette.

Approved,