Lapu-Lapu

For the city, see Lapu-Lapu, Philippines. Lapu-lapu is also the name of a red grouper fish in the Philippines.
Lapu-Lapu
Datu of Mactan Island
Personal details
Born 1491
Mactan Island (Now Punta Engaño, Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines
Died 1542 (aged 50–51)

Lapu-Lapu (1491–1542) was the ruler of Mactan, an island in the Visayas, Philippines, who is known as the first native of the archipelago to have resisted the Spanish colonization. He is now regarded as the first Filipino hero.[1][2]

On the morning of April 27, 1521, Lapu-Lapu led 1,500 Mactan warriors armed with barong, spears, kampilan and kalasag, in a battle against Portuguese explorer and conquistador Ferdinand Magellan who led a force of 49 Christian soldiers armed with guns in what would later be known as the Battle of Mactan. During the battle Magellan and several of his men were killed.[3]

He is regarded as a Muslim coming from the Tausug tribe as chronicled under the Sulu Sultanates. No clear evidence can be proven that he was an animist aside from mere speculation. He used a kampilan as mentioned by Antonio Pigafetta, a sword used by blue blood Muslims in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

The 1898 Philippine Declaration of Independence refers to Lapu-Lapu as "Rey Kalipulako Mirontos de Maktan" (King Kalipulako of Mactan).[4][5]

Contents

Commemoration

In the 19th century, the propagandist Mariano Ponce used the name "Kalipulako" as one of his pseudonyms.[6]

The Cebuano people have erected a statue in his honour on Mactan Island and renamed the town of Opon in Cebu to Lapu-Lapu City. Another statue stands in Rizal Park in the national capital of Manila. This 40 feet (12 m) statue was created by sculptor Sajid Imao and erected in 2003.[7]

Lapu-Lapu appears on the official seal of the Philippine National Police[8] and as the main design on the defunct 1-centavo coin circulated in the Philippines from 1967-1974.[9]

During the First Regular Season 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").[10]

A type of red grouper native to the Philippines is commonly known as "lapu-lapu"[11] in the island of Luzon, but more commonly known in the Visayas and Mindanao islands as "pugapo", (Cebuano, "fish of the shore").

Two Filipino films, both called "Lapu-Lapu", have been made about the figure—the first in 1955[12] and the second in 2002.[13] The latter stars actor-turned-politician Lito Lapid and Joyce Jimenez.[13]

Chief Lapu-Lapu cocktail is an alcoholic drink named in his honor.[14][15]

A street in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States, is named after Lapu-Lapu.[16]

Gallery

See also

Further reading

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. ^ De Guzman, Maria O. (1967). The Filipino Heroes. National Bookstore, Inc.. pp. 58. ISBN 971-08-2987-4. 
  3. ^ Nowell, Charles E. (1962). Magellan’s Voyage Around the World: Three Contemporary Accounts. Northwestern University Press. 
  4. ^ Guevara, Sulpicio. The Laws of the First Philippine Republic (The Laws of Malolos) 1898-1899. National History Commission. Manila 1972. pp. 186, 203. Accessed 2011-07-31.
  5. ^ 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. 
  6. ^ "Bulacan, Philippines: General Info: Heroes and Patriots: Mariano Ponce". http://www.bulacan.gov.ph/generalinfo/hero.php?id=32. Retrieved 2011-08-08. 
  7. ^ "Gordon, Garcia recall victory at Mactan, honor Lapu-Lapu". http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2008/0427_gordon1.asp. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  8. ^ "PNP Seal Symbolism". Archived from the original on 2008-03-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20080316023807/http://www.pnp.gov.ph/about/content/seal.html. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
  9. ^ "American Numismatic Society". http://numismatics.org/collection/2004.9.7460. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
  10. ^ 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...". http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/70996341!.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-11. 
  11. ^ "Lucky lapu-lapu, ATV, boatmen and rice". GMANews.tv. 2008-04-12. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/88641/Lucky-lapu-lapu-ATV-boatmen-and-rice. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
  12. ^ "Lapu-Lapu (1955)". http://www.kabayancentral.com/video/lvn/cplvnll.html. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
  13. ^ a b "Lapu-Lapu (2002)". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345547/. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
  14. ^ "Cocktail of the Day: Chief Lapu-Lapu". http://tikijohnny.com/?p=35. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
  15. ^ Williams, Nicole Prentice. "Locals Only". Archived from the original on 2008-04-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20080425225629/http://www.rachaelraymag.com/travel-tips/best-trips/locals-only/locals-only---laguna-beach/article.html. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
  16. ^ "Lapu Lapu Street in San Francisco". http://maps.google.com/maps?q=lapu+lapu+street+san+Francisco&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr. Retrieved 2008-08-13. 

External links