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Lapu-Lapu Facts & Worksheets

Lapu-Lapu was a datu of Mactan in the Visayas who is widely celebrated by the modern Philippine society as the first Filipino hero because he was the first native to resist imperial Spanish colonization.

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Lapu-Lapu was a datu of Mactan in the Visayas who is widely celebrated by the modern Philippine society as the first Filipino hero because he was the first native to resist imperial Spanish colonization. He is famously known for the Battle of Mactan that occurred on 27 April 1521, where he and his fighters won against Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in battle.

See the fact file below for more information on the Lapu-Lapu or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Lapu-Lapu worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

NAMES

  • Lapulapu the chieftain of Mactan was reportedly called also by these names, Çilapulapu, Si Lapulapu, Salip Pulaka, Cali Pulaco, and Lapulapu Dimantag. And while historians debated his historical name, Lapu-Lapu has always been connected in history with his battle against the Portuguese explorer and conquistador, Ferdinand Magellan.

EARLY LIFE

  • Little is known about the beginnings of Lapu-Lapu, however, according to the epic Aginid, Lapulapu (as Lapulapu Dimantag) was first recorded arriving from “Borneo” (Sabah) reaching the shores of Sugbo (now referred to as Cebu).
  • By this time, Rajah Humabon ruled across Sugbo which become an important trading center. Rajah Humabon was known by natives as the king of the island.
  • Lapu-Lapu asked Humabon for a place to settle and the king offered him the region of Mandawili (known today as Mandaue), including the island Opong (or Opon) hoping that the people Lapulapu would cultivate the land.
  • They were successful in this, and was able to help enrich Sugbo’s trade port further.
  • He soon after became the chieftain of the region’s people.
  • Referred to as Datu Lapu-Lapu of Mactan island, he stood up for his people.
  • However, the relationship between Lapulapu and Humabon later deteriorated when he turned to piracy. He started raiding merchant ships passing the island of Opong, affecting trade in Sugbo and changing the course of events to come.
  • The island, therefore, earned the name Mangatang or “those who lie in wait”, later evolving to “Mactan”.

BATTLE OF MACTAN

  • In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan accidentally stumbled on Homonhon Island (known today as Samar) while he was going to Indonesia’s Spice Islands.
  • There, he was able to build allegiance with the local rulers, especially Rajah Humabon of Cebu.
  • It was Magellan who turned Rajah Humabon and his wife to be baptized into Catholicism and later gave them the Santo Nino. This is assumed to be the very moment in history when Christianity was introduced to the Philippines.
  • Seeing the warm hospitality of Humabon to them, Magellan then tried to introduce Catholicism to nearby islands such as Mactan where the two rival chiefs were living — Zula and Lapu-Lapu.
  • Zula was one of those who gave tribute to the Spanish king while Lapu-Lapu refused and strongly opposed Magellan’s proposal and Humabon’s orders.
  • Consequently, it sparked the Battle of Mactan.
  • According to the Aginid Chronicles (oral chronicles from Rajah Tupas of Cebu), it was Humabon himself who purposefully pushed the Spaniards into fighting Lapu Lapu, who was his enemy at that time.
  • According to the Italian scholar, Antonio Pigafetta who traveled along with Magellan during his journey, during the Battle of Mactan, Magellan and 50 of his troop members were up against Lapu-Lapu including his 1,500 warriors.
  • Since Magellan perhaps hoping to show off Humabon’s warriors with superiority of European armor and weapons, he asked them to remain on the ship.
  • Pigafetta noted that Lapu-Lapu and his soldiers aimed their fire-hardened bamboo spears and poisoned arrows at the legs of their enemies, thus, killing Magellan.
  • The survivors came in rush back into the ship and fled.
  • According to the oral history, Lapu-Lapu possessed supernatural powers because of his father Datu Manggal’s anting-anting or talisman but he did not come out of the battle unscathed.
  • Opposite to common belief, however, there is no proof to confirm that Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan at his own hands.
  • Following the Battle of Mactan, many accounts revealed that Lapu-Lapu and Humabon were able to revive their friendly relations.
  • Oral history states that Datu of Mactan chose to return to Borneo where he lived out the rest of his life with his children and wives.

LEGACY

  • Lapu-Lapu is widely regarded among Filipinos, as the first Filipino hero.
  • A statue on Mactan Island was built by the government in his honor.
  • The town of Opon in Cebu changed its name to Lapu-Lapu City.
  • The fountain and rollerskating rink was replaced by a large statue of him stands in the middle of Agrifina Circle in Rizal Park, Manila, donated by South Korea.
  • A street in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, California in the United States, is named after him.
  • Lapulapu appears on the Philippine National Police official seal.
  • The City Government of Cebu holds a yearly event on April 27 called Kadaugan sa Mactan (kadaugan means free-for-all) to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Mactan – reenacting the battle between Magellan’s army and Lapu-Lapu’s tribe.

THEORIES ON THE BATTLE OF MACTAN

  • Culture and the arts say that Lapu-Lapu and his men defeat the Spanish, and the chief personally kills Magellan.
  • However, some accounts tell that the Mactan chieftain was at this time in his 70s, kind of portly, and probably watched the battle unfold from a safe distance.
  • According to Xiao Chua, a Philippine history professor, said to ABS-CBN in an interview that Lapu-Lapu served only as the leader of the troops. Contrary to popular belief, however, there is no proof to confirm that Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan at his own hands.
  • In a more elaborate version, different sea creatures attack the legs of the Spaniards as they wade across the shallow sea, leaving them vulnerable to Lapu-Lapu and the islanders. Thus, the Spanish were defeated easily by Lapu-Lapu, and the story comes to an end. The Pigafetta’s version of the Battle of Mactan agrees that the Spanish had to wade in shallow water, as the ships could not land on the shore due to the rocks protruding from the seabed.
  • Regardless of the way and the precise details of the Battle of Mactan actually played out, Lapu-Lapu is commemorated as a hero who resisted and defeated the Spanish who invaded his land.

Lapu-Lapu Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Lapu-Lapu across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Lapu-Lapu worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Lapu-Lapu who was a datu of Mactan in the Visayas who is widely celebrated by the modern Philippine society as the first Filipino hero because he was the first native to resist imperial Spanish colonization. He is famously known for the Battle of Mactan that occurred on 27 April 1521, where he and his fighters won against Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in battle.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Lapu-Lapu Facts
  • Actually Looked Like
  • Lapu-Lapu Engraved
  • Getting to Know
  • Lapu-Lapu Crossword
  • Renamed Places
  • Prelude to the Battle
  • A Chieftain Be Like
  • Different Lapu-Lapu
  • Lapu-Lapu Banknote and Medal
  • My Hero

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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