Last week, I got an invite to cover this year’s Kadaugan sa Mactan 2019 celebration. Kadaugan sa Mactan is a yearly activity in the city of Lapu-Lapu to commemorate the victory of Lapu-Lapu over the Spanish forces in the famous ‘Battle of Mactan.’ The highlight of the event is the re-enactment of the famous battle on the beach of Barangay Mactan. Each year, famous actors and personalities are tapped to portray the important figures in the story.
If you can remember, my very first Battle of Mactan experience was back in 2008. That year, Datu Lapu-Lapu was portrayed by Manny Pacquiao and Dennis Trillo played the role of Magellan. Manny’s wife Jinky Pacquiao played the role of Princessa Bulakna, Lapu-Lapu’s wife.
This year, an exciting roster of rising young stars portrayed the three most important roles. Read on to see photos and videos from my first Kadaugan sa Mactan experience in 11 years!
Call time for all bloggers and press people was 7:00 am. So I made sure that I was already in the vicinity at around 6:30 am. When I got there, a solemn mass was being held and the performance area was still practically empty.
This is the stage where city officials and special guests will be seated to watch the program.
The bleachers on the left side of the performance area, however, was already filled with spectators.
Finally, several minutes after the mass ended, the raising of the flag and the singing of the national anthem was held.
This was followed by the symbolic offering of flowers and a 21-gun salute for Mactan’s chieftain.
The ceremony was followed by a short speech by Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza.
This year’s re-enactment was actually a musical. They incorporated fresh and nice-sounding Cebuano songs into the performance which made it even more appealing.
In this scene, we can see Magellan and his team approaching the beach through the water.
The production involved more than 200 local performers who sang, danced, and acted during the presentation.
The three main actors were manila-based celebrities from both ABS-CBN and GMA 7.
GMA 7’s Derrick Monasterio played the role of Datu Lapu-Lapu. ABS-CBN’s Myrtle Sarrosa and Mark Neumann played the roles of Bulakna and Magellan, respectively.
A shower of flower petals dropped from a helicopter marked the end of the program.
The main cast of this year’s re-enactment is presented one by one to the spectators.
After the presentation, they all went up the stage to greet the guests who were present.
Here is a quick shot of the team with the local leaders of Lapu-Lapu City.
Mayor Paz Radaza poses for a photo with the rest of this year’s performers.
Mayor Paz Radaza talked with members of the press after the presentation. According to her, the presentation was wonderfully made and she really enjoyed it.
The media conference continued later on at Mactan Newtown. Now in regular clothes, the three actors gamely answered questions from the media.
Mark, Myrtle, and Derrick pose one last time for the members of the local media.
Check out the videos I took during the event:
Pre-event, rites, and post-performance scenes (Kadaugan sa Mactan 2019.)
Here is a full performance video of the 2019 Kadaugan sa Mactan Reenactment
Were you able to witness this year’s Kadaugan sa Mactan? What do you think of this yearly event? Let us know in the comments below.
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