HE IS the first hero, in fact. But he has one handicap: He's not from Luzon.
As if that is not enough, a fish was named after him, and we remember him best because of a novelty song written by Visayan novelty song writer Yoyoy Villame.
Very little is documented about Lapu-Lapu. We shouldn't be surprised. After all, among the first tasks of the colonizers was to destroy whatever books and chronicles there were upon their arrival, the way colonizers would do. To make it appear to the whole world that they were there to bring civilization.
But no, the Philippines was already civilized. There was already a political structure in place, and Lapu-Lapu was among two leaders of Mactan Island and was the first leader who fought against the colonizers. Long before Jose Rizal was even born.
But then...He's Bisaya. Much like how President Rodrigo Duterte is now being sneered at for his Visayan diction.
In this country, much prejudice is cast against the southerners by those in the national capital. To this day, every one who has worked with the snoots of Metro Manila knows of that prejudice and undeserved scorn.
There was an attempt by Senator Richard Gordon on the first regular session of the Philippine Senate in 2015 to recognize Lapu-Lapu as a hero and designate April 27 of every year as a holiday to commemorate Adlaw ni Lapu-Lapu ("Day of Lapu-Lapu"). This never saw the light of day.
It was on April 27, 1521, when Lapu-Lapu and his men fought and killed Magellan, throttling the conquistadores' order for the Mactan leader to bow down to the Spanish King. No one else stood up against the conquistadores, and what followed was three centuries of colonization and oppression that resulted to the uprising of the Manila heroes, 300 years hence.
Last April 26, 2017, President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 200 declaring April 27 as “Lapu-Lapu Day” in honor of this courageous leader.
“Lapu-Lapu left us a legacy of freedom through his leadership, extraordinary bravery, courage and love for his own land,” Duterte said in the proclamation. “Being among the first of our forefathers to have fought against foreign domination, Lapu-Lapu’s heroism has been recognized as a representation of the Filipino people’s love of freedom and capability to rise above adversity.”
It is fitting that a Visayan president with Cebuano roots take on the cudgels for the first person documented to have stood up against colonization to let all Filipinos henceforth realize that the country does not revolve around Metro Manila alone.