REP. Raul del Mar (Cebu City north district) was the lone Cebuano to be named one of the 2018 The Outstanding Filipinos (Tofil).

Established by the Junior Chamber International Senate Philippines in 1988, the Tofil award was created to give public recognition to Filipino men and women, 41 years old and over, with exemplary achievements and contributions to society.

Honorees are chosen based on the strength of their character and integrity; and the impact of their achievements on their field of work, public welfare and national development.

This year’s awardees include del Mar (government and public service), Fr. Benigno Beltran (community and humanitarian service), Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion (entrepreneurship) and Dr. Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit (ecologicial conservation).

The awarding ceremony was held last Wednesday night, Dec. 5 at Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City.

SunStar Cebu tried to reach del Mar for his statement, but he was not available as of press time.

Del Mar, 77, started his political career in the late ‘80s. He was elected to three consecutive terms in Congress beginning in 1987 until 1998, and was elected to another three consecutive terms in 2001, 2004 and 2007.

He recently took his oath as member of the Commission on Appointments (CA) before Senate President and CA Chairman Vicente Sotto III.

Aside from being a member of the body’s standing committees, del Mar was also elected as chairman of the CA’s committee on trade and industry, and vice chairman of the committee on foreign affairs.

Del Mar also has several bills to his name in his long political career as a congressman.

His most recent measures include House Bill (HB) 149, which provides for the establishment and construction of a second runway at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport; and HB 5688, which seeks to declare Sept. 21 of every year as Cebu Press Freedom Day, making it a special working holiday in Cebu City and Cebu Province, among others. RTF