The youth here showcased their talents in the martial art arnis to depict the fall of the Spanish invaders, led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, in the hands of the local chieftain Datu Lapulapu 503 years ago.

About 300 “eskrimadores,” some in their teens, displayed their prowess in Arnis de Abanico, or the fan-like use of the stick believed to have originated from the natives of Cebu.

It was a reenactment of the “Kadaugan sa Mactan” (Victory of Mactan) at the Liberty Shrine in Mactan Island Saturday as the city celebrates Lapulapu Day.

Jonel Espinsa Pepito, an internationally acclaimed eskrimador and the founder of Lapu-Lapu Arnis de Abanico, took on the role of Datu Lapulapu; a teacher, Henj Manosa, portrayed the role of Reyna Bulakna, Lapulapu’s wife; and a Belgian-Filipino resident of Barangay Pajo played Magellan.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. witnessed the performance.

“The image of Lapulapu as a living, breathing, and real figure who risked his life to keep his family, comrades, and community safe from hostile outsiders may seem strange to our modern responsibilities. Yet, he remains a symbol of the bravery and honor that each of us inherently possesses,” Marcos said in his speech.

Mayor Junard Chan said it was the same spirit and resolve that fueled the Oponganons, the locals of Mactan Island, to transform Lapu-Lapu into a bustling city.

President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ordered the construction of the first Cebu-Mactan Bridge in 1973.

“(The bridge) significantly improved accessibility not only for the residents and visitors but for the investors as well. Five years later in 1978, Marcos Sr. opened the Mactan-Cebu airport to international flights that boosted our foothold as a major tourism destination in the country as it serves as a gateway for foreign tourists to visit our city’s white sand beaches and crystal blue waters,” Chan said in his speech.

The mayor also recalled that Marcos Sr. signed Proclamation No. 1811 in 1979, establishing the Export Processing Zone Authority, now known as the Mactan Export Processing Zone, a source of income for 120,000 Filipinos.

Marcos likewise led the capsule-laying ceremony for the PHP1.5-billion Mactan Expo Center, a project of real estate company Megaworld Corporation. (PNA)