THE BATTLE OF MACTAN on April 27, 1521 marked the first organized resistance of the Filipinos against foreign invaders. Raha Lapu-Lapu, a chieftain of Mactan Island, defeated Spanish sailors under Portuguese sea captain and explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
After Magellan landed on the island of Homonhon on March 16, 1521, he parleyed with Rajah Calambu of Limasawa, who guided him to Cebu on April 7. Through Magellan’s interpreter, a Malay servant by the name of Enrique, Rajah Humabon of Cebu became an ally. Impressed by Magellan’s artillery (consisting of guns, swords, body armor, 12 cannons, and 50 cross-bows), Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula suggested to Magellan that they go to the nearby island of Mactan and punish Lapu-Lapu.
According to the accounts of Antonio Pigaffeta, Magellan’s voyage chronicler, the Portuguese sea captain deployed 48 armored men, less than half his crew, with swords, axes, shields, cross-bows and guns. Filipino historians note that because of the rocky outcroppings and coral near the beach, he could not land on Mactan. Forced to anchor far from shore, Magellan could not bring his ship’s firepower to bear on Lapu-Lapu’s warriors.
As the crew were retreating, Pigaffeta records that Magellan was surrounded by warriors. His crew had to wade through the surf to make landing, Pigaffeta narrates. Eight crewmen were killed. Pigafetta, the supernumerary on the voyage who later returned to Seville, Spain, records Lapu-Lapu had at least 1,500 native warriors in the battle.—Source: wikipedia.org
<span>Lapu-Lapu is the first Filipino to resist foreign invaders. The Battle of Mactan, even if it was situated in the early years of Spanish invasion marks the start of an organized Filipino resistance against foreign aggression. The defeat and death of Magellan is a humiliation in the part of Spain. It only shows that even if the warriors of Lapu-lapu were outnumbered their bravery and patriotism ousted the Spanish troops. Yet, the national consciousness of the Filipinos during that time is still futile compared to the uprisings centuries later that brought the Philippine Revolution to its peak.</span>
