Battle of Mactan
Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines
What happened
Lapulapu, chief of Mactan, and his warriors fought a Spanish landing party led by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was allied with Rajah Humabon of Cebu. Magellan's expedition was the first to try to sail all the way around the world. In the Philippines, Lapulapu refused to accept the rule of Humabon or Spain, and Magellan agreed to help Humabon force him. A coral reef kept the Spanish ships too far away to support the landing party with their guns, and Lapulapu's warriors won; Magellan fell.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Filipinos remember it as the first time local people defeated Spanish soldiers, and Lapulapu is honoured as the Philippines' first national hero. Historians say it delayed Spanish rule of the Philippines by about 44 years.
What came next
Juan Sebastián Elcano took command and sailed the surviving ships west, reaching Spain in 1522. This completed the first voyage around the world.
Did you know?
Every year the battle is acted out at the Mactan Shrine in a festival called Kadaugan sa Mactan, and 27 April is Lapu-Lapu Day.
Timeline
- 27 April 1521Lapulapu's warriors win at Mactan.
- 1522Elcano completes the first voyage around the world.
- 1564-1565Spanish rule begins under Legazpi.
- 201727 April is declared Lapu-Lapu Day.