Lapu-Lapu

Lapu-Lapu is also the name of the grouper fish in the Philippines. For the city, see Lapu-Lapu City.
Lapu-Lapu
LapulapuSqualluto.jpg
Lapu-Lapu's statue on Mactan Island in the Philippines.
Nationality Filipino
Occupation Chieftain
Known for commanding Visayan forces that killed Ferdinand Magellan.

Lapu-Lapu was the king of Mactan, an island in the Visayas, Philippines, who is known as the first native of the archipelago to have resisted Spanish colonization. He is now regarded as the first Filipino hero.[1]

On the morning of April 27, 1521, Lapu-Lapu and the men of Mactan, armed with spears, and kampilan, faced Spanish soldiers led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. In what would later be known as the Battle of Mactan, Magellan and several of his men were killed.

According to Sulu oral tradition, Lapu-Lapu was a Muslim chieftain,[2] and was also known as "Kaliph Pulaka".[3] The people of Bangsamoro, the Islamic homeland in the southern Philippine Islands, consider him to be a Muslim and a member of the Tausug ethnic group.[4] A variant of the name, as written by Carlos Calao, a 17th century Chinese-Spanish poet in his poem "Que Dios Le Perdone" (Spanish, "That God May Forgive Him") is "Cali Pulacu".[5]

The 1898 Philippine Declaration of Independence refers to Lapu-Lapu as "King Kalipulako de Maktan".[6] In the 19th century, the reformist Mariano Ponce used a variant name, "Kalipulako", as one of his pseudonyms.[7]

Contents

Commemoration

The Cebuano people have erected a statue in his honor on Mactan Island, and renamed the town of Opon in Cebu to Lapu-Lapu City. A more recent statue was given as a gift to the Philippines by South Korea in 2005. It stands in Rizal Park in the national capital of Manila.[8]

Lapu-Lapu appears as a central figure in the official seal of the Philippine National Police[9] and as the main design on the defunct 1-centavo coin circulated in the Philippines from 1967-1974.[10]

During the First Regular Session of the 14th Congress of the Philippines, Senator Richard Gordon introduced a bill proposing to declare April 27 as an official Philippine national holiday to be known as Adlaw ni Lapu-Lapu, (Cebuano, "Day of Lapu-Lapu").[11]

A type of red grouper native to the Philippine Islands is commonly known as "Lapu-Lapu" [12] in the Island of Luzon; but more commonly known in the Visayas, and Mindanao Islands as "Pugapo", (Cebuano, "fish of the shore").

Two Philippine films, both called "Lapu-Lapu", have been made about the figure - the first in 1955[13] and the second in 2002.[14] The latter stars actor-turned-politician Lito Lapid and Joyce Jimenez.[14]

Chief Lapu-Lapu cocktail is an alcoholic drink named in his honor.[15][16]

A street in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, California is named after Lapu-Lapu.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Zaide, Sonia M. (1994). The Philippines:A Unique Nation. All Nations Publishing Co., Inc.. pp. 83-84. ISBN 971-642-005-6. 
  2. ↑ "Lapu-Lapu and the Battle of Mactan", The Manila Bulletin Online (2001). Retrieved on 2008-07-09. 
  3. ↑ Ang, Josiah C.. "Historical Timeline of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu Including Related Events of Neighboring Peoples". Retrieved on 2008-07-11.
  4. ↑ "Lapu-Lapu and the battle of Mactan". Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
  5. ↑ Halili, Ma. Christine N. (2004). Philippine History. REX Bookstore, Inc.. pp. 74. ISBN 978-971-23-3934-9. 
  6. ↑ Kalaw, Maximo M. (2005). "Appendix A: Act of the Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People (Spanish-to-English translation culled from John Taylor's Philippine Insurgent Records)". The development of Philippine politics. University of Michigan Library. "Hernando de Magallanes, who arrived upon the shores of Cebu, ...was killed in the battle which took place on said shores, to which he was provoked by King Kalipulako de Maktan, who was suspicious of his bad intentions...". 
  7. ↑ "Bulacan, Philippines: General Info: Heroes and Patriots: Mariano Ponce". Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
  8. ↑ "Gordon, Garcia recall victory at Mactan, honor Lapu-Lapu". Retrieved on 2008-07-09.
  9. ↑ "PNP Seal Symbolism". Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
  10. ↑ "American Numismatic Society". Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  11. ↑ Gordon, Richard J.. "An Act to declare April 27 of every year as a special non-working holiday throughout the country to commemorate the victory of Lapu-Lapu and his men over the Spaniards led by Fernando Magallanes...". Retrieved on 2008-07-11.
  12. ↑ "Lucky lapu-lapu, ATV, boatmen and rice", GMANews.tv (2008-04-12). Retrieved on 2008-06-09. 
  13. ↑ "Lapu-Lapu (1955)". Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Lapu-Lapu (2002)". Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  15. ↑ "Cocktail of the Day: Chief Lapu Lapu". Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
  16. ↑ Williams, Nicole Prentice. "Locals Only". Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
  17. ↑ "Lapu Lapu Street in San Francisco". Retrieved on 2008-08-13.

Further reading

Gallery