From the airport, I wanted to visit one of the more significant historical shrines in the country – the Lapu-lapu shrine. The shrine is on the island of Mactan just beside the Cebu Mainland. Fortunately, it would be easier to get to the shrine from the airport. I asked around how to get to the shrine – I didn’t really plan much for my transportation, I figured it would be easier to do it anyway. The airport people told me that there is a special tour I could join to see the shrine, but it would cost a bit. I didn’t really like the idea of a tour so I asked what would the cheapest way to the shrine be.
It turns out I can get a ride to the main road outside the airport complex, then I can get another one near a shopping center which passes by the shrine itself. Great! It was easy enough to find the place as it was described by the people quite well. The shopping center was still closed but the area was already teeming with people going to work. Along the way to the shrine, we passed by the massive Mactan Export Processing Zone which is host to a lot of multinational firms. This place is incidentally the biggest job provider in the whole of Cebu province. A lot of these firms would be famliar to anyone.
The shrine itself was still further away. Just when I was getting anxious, the driver of the multi-cab told me to get off. I was here. The shrine was basically a park beside the sea. There was no entrance fee and I just walked right in. It could tell that it was still early in the morning because there was still someone jogging around the shrine itself. He greeted me and smiled when he noticed me and continued jogging. The most prominent structure here would be the obelisk with the names of several historical figures involved in the story of Lapu-lapu such as Ferdinand Megellan and Queen Isabel of Spain.
Lapu-lapu is revered as the first Filipino hero who stood up again the colonizing powers, in this case, Spain. While the rest of the island in the area were already serving Spain. Lapu-lapu refused to bow down to this new power. Irked by the arrogance of this lowly chieftan, Ferdinand Magellan, led a group of troops to show Lapu-lapu (and his new subjects) who’s boss. Unfortunately, Magellan’s arrogance had a very steep price in the form of Magellan’s death. Stories say that the Battle of Mactan happened on these very shores.
Just off the obelisk, is a huge statue of Lapu-lapu. It looks more like a superhero than a historical figure. Anyway, no one really know how he looked like. He has this massive sword and a wooden shield standing proudly. The rest of the park has a small house which was named Balay ni Gloria, which means “The House of Gloria” in the Cebuano dialect. This is where the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo supposedly stays whenever she passes by this place.
Just outside the Balay ni Gloria, is a marshy swampland with boats on stranded on the wet shore. Every April 27, there is a reenactment of the Battle of Mactan here in these very shores. The battle happened in the year 1521 and it serves as a defining moment of the courage of the Filipinos against the invaders. A caretaker was around when I was taking photos and he was excitedly telling me of the story of this place. When I noted the there doesn’t seem to be water and the boats are all stranded, he told me that the reenactment always has to happen when it is high tide. Right now, the water is so low that I wouldn’t even think that there would be water if I didn’t see the sea in the distance.
The Lapu-lapu Shrine wasn’t the majestic awe-inspiring shrine I thought it would be. In fact, it was a merely a humble marker. All things considered, the park was very clean and at that hour I visited I was practically the only one there. I guess getting a bit of history with me with well worth it. Outside the park is a small waiting shed for passengers going back to town. This place is quite out of the way and there isn’t really much to see other than the shrine. I hailed a passing multi-cab which will bring me back to the airport area.
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