The mactan shrine,located on mactan island,just of the coast from cebu city,is a must see for everyone interested in filipino history,it commemorates the battle of mactan that took place in 1521 between the Spanish and visayan native people in april 1521 and along with paintings and plaques about that battle,it also contains two other important shrines,the lapulapu shirne and the magellan shrine
The lapu lapu shrine is 20 meter (65.5 feet) high bronze statue of lapu lapu,the filipino warrior king who commanded the native forces that fought the invading Spanish forces in the battle of mactan in 1521 and killed their leader,the navigator Ferdinand Magellan.the lapu lapu statue is said to be on the exact spot where the battle was fought and where Magellan was killed.the statue shows lapu lapu holding a sword in one hand and a shield on the other (these two weapons are said to have been used by lapu lapu in his combat with Magellan).
Lapu lapu was one of two chieftains and kings of mactan island,and he vigorously resisted the early Spanish colonists in their attempts to conquer the Philippines and convert them to Christianity.when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the philippines in 1521,he took possession of the philippines in the name of spain,after early friendly encounters with the rajahs of the islands of homonhon and cebu in the central philippines,Magellan and his men faced off against lapu lapu and his warriors in battle of mactan ( kadaugan sa mactan)during this battle the Spanish honor and the town of opon,mactan island,was renamed lapu-lapu city.
The battle for mactan is re-enacted most years on the beach at Magellan bay,mactan island.
