Mactan – On Saturday, around 300 young eskrimadores gathered at Liberty Shrine on Mactan Island to perform a reenactment of the historic "Kadaugan sa Mactan" (Victory of Mactan), marking 503 years since the defeat of Spanish forces led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan by the local chieftain Datu Lapulapu. Participants, some as young as teenagers, demonstrated their skills in Arnis de Abanico, a martial arts technique that employs a fan-like motion with sticks, a method believed to have originated among the natives of Cebu.
According to Philippines News Agency, the reenactment was part of the city’s celebration of Lapulapu Day. Internationally recognized eskrimador Jonel Espinsa Pepito portrayed Datu Lapulapu, while a local teacher, Henj Manosa, took on the role of Reyna Bulakna, Lapulapu's wife. A Belgian-Filipino resident played the role of Magellan. The event was also attended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who highlighted the enduring symbol of bravery and honor represented by Lapulapu.
Mayor Junard Chan linked the historical spirit and resolve of the Oponganons, the locals of Mactan Island, to the modern development of Lapu-Lapu City into a thriving urban center. He credited past initiatives such as the construction of the first Cebu-Mactan Bridge in 1973 and the opening of the Mactan-Cebu airport to international flights in 1978 by President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for enhancing the city's accessibility and boosting its tourism industry. Chan also noted the establishment of the Mactan Export Processing Zone in 1979, which now supports 120,000 Filipino workers.
In addition to the historical celebrations, President Marcos Jr. participated in a capsule-laying ceremony for the PHP1.5-billion Mactan Expo Center, a new project by real estate company Megaworld Corporation.