Liberty Shrine, Lapu-Lapu City
April 27, 2022

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte honored the Philippine hero Lapulapu as he led the celebration of the 501st Anniversary of the Victory at Mactan at the Liberty Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City.

“The victory that he led in Mactan signifies our ancestor’s bravery and determination to protect the sovereignty against foreign forces. The strong leadership of Chief Lapulapu in the face of overwhelming odds earned him the well-deserved honor and distinction of being hailed as the first Philippine hero,” President Duterte remarked in his address.

The Chief Executive also lauded the efforts of the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC), whom he constituted in 2018 under Executive Order No. 53.

“I am pleased to join my fellow workers in the government and my countrymen to celebrate 501 anniversary of the Victory of Mactan. Let me congratulate the National Quincentennial Committee and its partners for leading the successful events held in the past year to commemorate milestones in the nation’s long and rich history despite the challenges this time,” he said.

President Duterte noted the ongoing construction of the Lapulapu Memorial Shrine and Museum to be built at Mactan Shrine. He expressed his hopes for a fast construction of the project as it is only fitting to immortalize the heroic deeds of the late hero.

As Lapu-Lapu City spearheads the observance and commemoration of the historic event, he urged fellow Filipinos to show an equal measure of appreciation towards the country’s modern day heroes while also noting that the Filipinos are fortunate enough to preserve the rich and long history of the country.

Known as ‘Lapulapu Day’ or ‘Adlaw ni Lapulapu’, April 27 of every year is declared as a special working public holiday in the whole country and a special non-working holiday in Lapu-Lapu City to commemorate the victory of Lapulapu and his men over Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish armada in the historic Battle of Mactan in 27 April 1521.

This year’s commemoration also marked the closing ceremony of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines — a series of organized observances to mark the 500th anniversary of various notable events in the Philippines in order to promote and conserve the country’s historical and cultural heritage, as well as its artistic creations.

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