05/03/2021
LAPU-LAPU TECHNICALLY IS "NOT" A NATIONAL HERO. -Michael Rey
Here's a summary based on my readings:
1. First, there was still no nation at the time of Lapu-lapu. The Philippines we now know today was previously composed of multiple kingdoms from distinct cultural groups or tribes with their own languages and traditional territories of land and sea. There was no sense of nationhood for the entire archipelago.
2. Second, there were no Filipinos at the time of Lapu-lapu. When Villalobos arrived more than 20 years after Magellan, his crew named Las Islas Felipinas only to the islands of Samar and Leyte and not the entire archipelago. Only years later when the Spaniards adopted the name to the entire country. Natives of Philippines were also not called Filipinos but Indios. The people originally referred to as Filipinos were the insulares (Spaniards born in the Philippines).
3. Third, the fight between Magellan and Lapu-lapu was really not between two nations but a fight between two native kingdoms, Datu Lapu-lapu vs. Rajah Humabon. They were actually brothers-in-law as Lapu-lapu’s sister was among the wives of Humabon. It was Lapu-lapu's refusal to pay taxes (tributes) to Humabon that caused the conflict. As Magellan befriended Humabon, the latter requested Magellan to kill his rival. After the defeat at the Battle of Mactan, Humabon later poisoned the remaining Spanish soldiers, luckily some had escaped and returned to Spain.
4. Fourth, historical accounts mentioned that he had a sinister reputation of being a pirate. Lapu-lapu was already an old datu at that time of the Battle of Mactan and no longer a fighting muscular person depicted in paintings and statues. The Aginid Chronicles stated that Lapu-lapu was originally from Borneo and Humabon offered to him the now Mandaue for agriculture and so the economy flourished. Lapu-lapu later became stronger and influential and decided to become a pirate and looted ships passing the now Mactan which significantly lowered the tributes for Humabon.
5. Lastly, there is no Philippine law declaring a national hero. In 1995 the Philippine National Heroes Committee officially recommended several people for the designation, but this was not acted upon. As of today, no one had ever been officially recognized as a Philippine national hero, not even Rizal, Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, del Pilar or Lapu-lapu. Lapulapu was not even included of the committee's recommended list.
Lapu-lapu's fight was not for a country but for himself and his territory. Even though Lapu-lapu has killed a distinguished navigator under Spain, no historical account that he was used by the Katipuneros as an inspiration to fight against the Spaniards. Lapu-lapu's fame and prominence only started during the American occupation when Dean Worcester erected a giant statue near the Magellan marker where the Battle of Mactan supposedly took place. Though historically incorrect, Lapu-lapu's myth is still significant in creating a sense of pride that a native has a fighting chance to defeat a foreign invader.