Mactan Shrine

Last updated
Mactan Shrine
Liberty Shrine
Lapulapu Monument
Lapu Lapu statue at Mactan Shrine 2013.jpg
The Lapu-Lapu monument at Mactan Shrine
Metro Cebu location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location with Metro Cebu
TypeMemorial park
Location Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
Coordinates 10°18′39″N124°0′54.8″E / 10.31083°N 124.015222°E / 10.31083; 124.015222
Established1969 (as a national shrine)
Public transit access

Mactan Shrine, also known as Liberty Shrine or Lapulapu Monument, is a memorial park on the island of Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines. It hosts two monuments, namely the Magellan Monument, which is dedicated to Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and the Lapu Lapu Monument, a bronze statue which commemorates Lapu Lapu, a native leader who defeated Spanish soldiers led by Magellan in the 1521 Battle of Mactan.

Contents

History

The Mactan Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu was established in 1969 as national shrine through Republic Act No. 5695 during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos. The site is believed to be the approximate location of the historic Battle of Mactan which saw the defeat of the Spaniards led by explorer Ferdinand Magellan against Lapu-Lapu the datu of Mactan and his forces. [1] The legislation included the Magellan Monument a structure which was erected back in the Spanish colonial era in 1866. [2] Republic Act No. 5695 also mandated for a monument for Lapu Lapu, who is regarded as hero for his role in the historic battle in 1521 as well as the erection of a Liberty House, a facility which would exhibit memorabilia showcasing the Philippines' history prior to the arrival of the Spanish. [1] In 1981, a bronze statue depicting Lapu-Lapu was erected within the shrine. [3] [4]

In National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) announced that it would improve the Mactan Shrine in 2019. Reports of plans for the Lapu-Lapu statue received negative reception but the NHCP gave an assurance that the statue won't be relocated. [5] [6] The following year, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as part of the National Quincentennial Committee which was formed to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mactan unveiled a design for a new Lapu-Lapu Shrine which and launched a design competition for a new Lapu-Lapu monument which will serve as a centerpiece of the structure. [7] [8] The NHCP also launched a bidding in relation to the restoration of the Magellan Shrine. [9]

In preparation for the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, the conservation work was done on the Magellan Monument and the Lapulapu sculpture was repainted. [3] Starting January 17, 2021, the mast at the shrine will permanently hoist the Philippine flag. [10]

Kadaugan sa Mactan

On April 27, 2024, "Lapulapu Day", 300 “eskrimadores,” with "Lapu-Lapu Arnis de Abanico" performed a historical reenactment of “Kadaugan sa Mactan” at Mactan Shrine as witnessed by Mayor Junard Chan. [11]

Monuments

Future monument and museum

Eskrima practitioners stand at attention in front of the Lapu-Lapu Monument in 2022 Budots-media-2022-03-lapulapucity-lapulapumonument-mactan shrine.jpg
Eskrima practitioners stand at attention in front of the Lapu-Lapu Monument in 2022

The Lapu-Lapu Memorial Shrine and Museum is a proposed structure to built inside the Mactan Shrine. [8] The structure will be built on the shore adjacent to the Mactan Shrine. [6] A new Lapu-Lapu monument will be built inside the structure with the winning entry of a design competition to be used a basis for the monument's design. [13] The existing Lapu-Lapu statue will be kept intact. [6] The groundbreaking is scheduled to take place on April 27, 2021. [14]

Related Research Articles

The Battle of Mactan was fought on a beach in Mactan Island between Spanish forces led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan along with local allies, and Lapulapu, the chieftain of the island, on the early morning hours of April 27, 1521. Magellan, a Portuguese-born commander serving the Spanish Empire who led an expedition that ultimately circumnavigated the world for the first time, commanded a small Spanish contingent in an effort to subdue Mactan under the Spanish crown. The sheer number of Lapulapu's forces, compounded with issues associated with the location and the armor, ultimately resulted in a disastrous defeat to the Europeans and the death of Magellan. Surviving members of Magellan's crew continued the expedition under the command of Juan Sebastian de Elcano, who completed the journey in September 1522.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lapulapu</span> Datu of Mactan (fl. 1521)

Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu, whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan, an island now part of the Philippines. Lapulapu is known for the 1521 Battle of Mactan, where he and his men defeated Spanish forces led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his native allies Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula. Magellan's death in battle ended his voyage of circumnavigation and delayed the Spanish occupation of the islands by over forty years until the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi in 1564.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lapu-Lapu City</span> Highly urbanized city in Cebu, Philippines

Lapu-Lapu, officially the City of Lapu-Lapu, is a highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 497,604.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mactan</span> Island in the Cebu, Philippines

Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers east of Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu and the municipality of Cordova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base</span> Military airport in Mactan Island, Philippines

Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base, originally known as Opon Airfield and later Mactan Air Base, is an active military airbase of the Philippine Air Force (PAF). It is located on the island of Mactan, Cebu, in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It shares its two runways with the civilian Mactan–Cebu International Airport. Mactan Air Base was originally built by, and was a facility of the United States Air Force (USAF), until the American military units left the country in 1991, whereby full and total control was handed over to the Philippine Air Force.

Rajah Humabon later baptized as Don Carlos Valderrama, was one of the recorded chiefs in Cebu who encountered Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century. Humabon ruled at the time of the arrival of Portuguese-born Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines in 1521. Humabon, his wife, and his subjects were the first known Christian converts in the Philippines. However, since there were no Catholic priests in Cebu from 1521 to 1565, this Christianity was not practised until the return of the Spaniards to Cebu. There is no official record of Humabon's existence before the Spanish contact. The existing information was written by Magellan's Italian voyage chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta on Humabon and the indigenous Philippine peoples that existed prior to Spanish colonization. Rajah Humabon is cited as the reason for why Magellan fought in the Battle of Mactan, as the latter wanted to earn the trust of Humabon by helping him subdue his opponent Lapulapu, one of the chiefs of Mactan. Despite being referred to as "king" in the journal of Antonio Pigafetta, he was not one like in the manner of a monarch in centralized societies, it is plausible that the title was mistakenly applied because according to succeeding chroniclers, there were no kingdoms in the pre-colonial Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historical markers of the Philippines</span> Commemorative plaques in the Philippines

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and its predecessor agencies install historical markers in the Philippines and overseas to signify important and historic events, persons, sites, structures, and institutions. The commemorative plaques are permanent signs installed by the NHCP in publicly visible locations on buildings, monuments, or in special locations. The NHCP also allows local municipalities and cities to install markers of figures and events of local significance, although these markers are barred from using the seal of the Republic of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Mass in the Philippines</span> 1521 Mass during Magellans expedition

The first documented Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday. It was conducted by Father Pedro de Valderrama of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition along the shores of what was referred to in the journals of Antonio Pigafetta as "Mazaua".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of the Sentinel of Freedom</span> Monument to Lapu-Lapu in Manila, Philippines

The Statue of the Sentinel of Freedom or the Lapu Lapu Monument is a monument to Lapulapu formerly located at the center of the Agrifina Circle at Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway</span> Longest bridge in the Philippines, connecting Cebu City and Cordova, Cebu

The Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), also known as the Cebu–Cordova Bridge and the Third Cebu–Mactan Bridge, is an 8.9-kilometer (5.5 mi) toll bridge expressway in Metro Cebu, Philippines. The bridge connects the South Road Properties in Cebu City in mainland Cebu and Cordova on Mactan island. Crossing the Mactan Channel, the bridge is the third road link between Cebu and Mactan islands and the first between Cebu City and Cordova. It is the longest sea-crossing bridge in the Philippines, surpassing the 2-kilometer (1.2 mi) San Juanico Bridge between Samar and Leyte, as well as Marcelo Fernan Bridge as the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Philippines. It also surpassed the 5-kilometer (3.1 mi) Candaba Viaduct of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) connecting the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan for being the longest bridge in the Philippines upon its completion on October 5, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines</span> 500th anniversary of Magellans landing and Lapu-Lapus victory

The 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines was a series of observances organized to mark the 500th anniversary of various events in the Philippines, notably the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines, the role of the country in the Magellan–Elcano circumnavigation, and the victory of Lapulapu in the Battle of Mactan.

"Panalo" (transl. "Victory") is a song by Filipino-American rapper Ez Mil, released on July 26, 2020, as the fifth track on the album Act 1. It features lines in three languages: Filipino/Tagalog, English, and Ilocano in the original Wish 107.5 recording with an addition of Cebuano for the following Pacquiao Version official music video release.

The Lapulapu Memorial Shrine and Museum is a proposed museum and monument to Lapulapu to be built at Mactan Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines</span> Christian anniversary in the Philippines

The 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines was a quincentennial observed in the Philippines. It was held from April 4, 2021, to April 22, 2022, to commemorate the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines in 1521 when the Magellan expedition made a stopover in the islands.

Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu was a datu of Mactan.

References

  1. 1 2 "Republic Act No. 5695". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. June 21, 1969. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  2. Madarang, Catalina Ricci S. (August 28, 2018). "Duterte claims 'history forgot Lapu-Lapu' despite statues, medals, city, and holiday". Interaksyon. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Conservation of 1866 Magellan Obelisk at the Liberty Shrine in Mactan now complete". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. Adel, Rosette (September 26, 2019). "Gov't to hold Lapu-Lapu National Monument design contest soon". Philippine Star. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  5. Alipon, Joworski (November 14, 2019). "National Historical Commission to improve Lapulapu monument in Cebu". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Dumaboc, Fe Marie (November 15, 2019). "Structures obstructing Lapu-Lapu Shrine to be demolished". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  7. "NQC unveils Lapu Shrine design". Sun Star. 23 July 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  8. 1 2 Erram, Morexette Marie (July 23, 2020). "Historians unveil Lapulapu Shrine and Museum project". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  9. "ITB – Restoration of Various Monuments: "Rajah Humabon in Parian District, Cebu City; Lapulapu Monument in Opon, Lapu-Lapu City; Antonio Pigafetta Monument at Fort San Pedro, Cebu City; and Magellan's Shrine, Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City" in Cebu Province". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  10. "Philippine flag to be displayed 24/7 at Mactan's Liberty Shrine starting Jan. 17". Cebu Daily News. January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  11. Saavedra, John Rey (April 27, 2024). "Young arnis practitioners reenact Lapulapu victory in Mactan". Philippine News Agency . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  12. Philippines - Lapu Lapu city - Mactan shrine 🌃 - 3D model by Budots Media (@BudotsMedia), 2023-07-04, retrieved 2023-09-04
  13. "NQC to artists: Join Quincentennial art, design competitions". Cebu Daily News. November 28, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  14. Eusebio, Aaron Brennt (January 5, 2021). "Here's why 2021 is a special year for the Philippines". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved January 8, 2021.