Lapulapu City
Sunrise in Lapulapu City, Cebu
photo by sweetsexything - Flickr
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The City of Lapu-Lapu is a 1st class highly-urbanized city in the province of Cebu, Philippines.
Lapulapu City is now part of a metropolis called Metro Cebu which includes, aside from Lapulapu, the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay.
Originally refereed to as “Mactan”, it was here where Ferdinand Magellan met his death in the hands of Datu Lapu-Lapu in that historic Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521. Mactan later became the town of Opon in 1730, the 7th town founded by the Augustinians in Cebu. OPON was the name of the place for centuries. The town of Opon became a city on June 17, 1961 and was named Lapu-Lapu City after its hero, Lapu-Lapu, the first Filipino to defy foreign aggression.
During the Filipino-American War, a military government was established. The continued resistance of the people of Cebu prompted the American government to restore military control over the province on July 17, 1901. In 1905, Opon held its first municipal election and Pascual dela Serna was elected town president.
The presence of oil tanks in Opon made the town an object of Japanese raids a week after the outbreak of World War II in December 1941. The enemy planes succedeed in blowing up two of about fourteen oil tanks in Opon. A unit of the Kawaguchi Detachment of the Japanese Imperial Forces landed on the east coast of Cebu on April 10, 1942. Later, the resistance movement ws organized by Colonel James F. Cushing, leader of the southern and central units, and Harry Fentorn of the northern unit of the Cebu Resistance Movement.
Lapulapu City’s main industries are exports, trading and tourism.
Lapulapu City occupies most of Mactan Island, one kilometer off of mainland Cebu Island, and also covers the whole of Olango Island five kilometers further to the southeast plus a few other islets. It is part of the larger Cebu Metropolitan Area which is centered on Cebu City.
The city is linked to Mandaue City on mainland Cebu by the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge and Marcelo Fernan Bridge. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the second busiest airport in the Philippines, is located in Lapu-Lapu City.
The city of Lapulapu is ideally located in central Philippines and can be reached by plane from Manila in 1 hour. Direct flights from Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan are also available on a daily basis.
Lapulapu City plays a significant part in the Philippine and world history, being the place where Magellan met his death. In modern times however, it has also occupied a very significant position being the place where the country’s second busiest airport, the Mactan International Airport, is located. Because of its beautiful beaches and great diving spots, Lapulapu City has also played host to an array of first class resort hotels which attracts visitors from all over the world.
- Mactan Export Processing Zone (I & II)
- Cebu Light Industrial Park
- Marcelo Fernan Bridge Park
- Vaño Beach
- Plantation Bay Resort & Spa
- Maribago Blue Waters
- Waterfront Airport Hotel
- Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa
- Cebu Hilton Resort and Towers
- Lapu-Lapu and Magellan Shrines
- Mactan Coral Golf Club
- Cebu Yacht Club
- Scuba Diving off the Mactan Coast
- Sutukil
- National Shrine of the Virgin of the Rule
- Babag: Lapulapu’s Fireworks District
Lapulapu City is composed of 30 barangays, namely: Agus, Babag, Bankal, Baring, Basak, Buaya, Calawisan, Canjulao, Caw-oy, Cawhagan, Caubian, Gun-ob, Ibo, Looc, Mactan, Maribago, Marigondon, Pajac, Pajo, Pangan-an, Poblacion, Punta Engaño, Pusok, Sabang, Santa Rosa, Subabasbas, Talima, Tingo, Tungasan and San Vicente.
According to the 2000 census, Lapulapu City has a population of 217,019 people in 44,439 households.
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