Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of
Cebu Island
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The island is part of
Cebu province
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
and it is divided into the city of
Lapu-Lapu
Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu (ᜎᜉ̰-ᜎᜉ̰), whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan in the Visayas in the Philippines. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan that happened at dawn on April 27, 1521, where h ...
and the municipality of
Cordova. The island is separated from Cebu by the
Mactan Channel
The Mactan Channel, also known as Opon Channel, is the strait between the island of Cebu and the smaller Mactan Island. The body of water is located within Metro Cebu, separating Mandaue and Cebu City in mainland Cebu from Lapu-Lapu City on Macta ...
which is presently crossed by three bridges: the
Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), the
Mactan–Mandaue Bridge
The Mactan–Mandaue Bridge, officially known as Serging Veloso Osmeña Jr. Bridge, also known as the First Cebu-Mactan Bridge is a truss bridge that connects the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu in Metro Cebu, Philippines. It is one of three bridg ...
, and the
Marcelo Fernan Bridge
Marcelo Fernan Bridge, also known as Second Cebu-Mactan Bridge is an extradosed cable-stayed bridge located in Metro Cebu in the Philippines. It spans across Mactan Channel connecting Mandaue City to Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan Island. It is curren ...
. The island covers some and has a population of 527,071 as of 2020, making it the nation's most densely populated island. Along with
Olango Island Group
The Olango Island Group is a group of islands found in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It comprises Olango island and 6 satellite islets namely: Caubian, Camungi, Caohagan, Gilutongan, Nalusuan, Pangan-an, and Sulpa. The island gr ...
, the isles are administered by a city and a municipality covering .
Mactan–Cebu International Airport
Mactan–Cebu International Airport ( ceb, Tugpahanang Pangkalibutan sa Mactan–Sugbo; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan–Cebu; ) is an international airport serving Metro Cebu and serves as the main gateway to the Central Visayas region ...
is located on the island.
Etymology
The modern name Mactan descended from an earlier form, ''Manctan''. However, evidence of this earlier form is scant as, even as early as the 17th century, the island was already named Mactan. This form is attested in the original copy of the
Philippine Declaration of Independence
The Philippine Declaration of Independence ( fil, Pagpapahayag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas; es, Declaración de Independencia de Filipinas); es, Acta de la proclamación de independencia del pueblo Filipino, link=no) was proclaimed by Fili ...
, where
Lapu-Lapu
Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu (ᜎᜉ̰-ᜎᜉ̰), whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan in the Visayas in the Philippines. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan that happened at dawn on April 27, 1521, where h ...
was mentioned as the king of "''Manktan''". This is supported by oral histories, which claim that the name Mactan evolved from the name ''Mangatang''. The name means "pirate" (lit. "those who lie in wait"), and was acquired during a period where the island's population would prey on passing trade ships on the way to the harbors of
Sugbu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
. The ancient name of the island in precolonial times is Opong, which became the name of the Spanish settlement of Opon (renamed to
Lapu-Lapu
Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu (ᜎᜉ̰-ᜎᜉ̰), whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan in the Visayas in the Philippines. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan that happened at dawn on April 27, 1521, where h ...
in 1961).
History
The island was already a thriving settlement before it was even colonized by Spain in the 16th century. It is a strong ally of the Lakanate of Lawan, a prosperous kingdom in Samar. Datu Hadi Iberein ruled the Lakanate of Lawan. He was described by historian William Henry Scott as a “Samar datu by the name of Iberein was rowed out to a Spanish vessel anchored in his harbor in 1543 by oarsmen collared in gold; while wearing on his own person earrings and chains.”
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
explorer
Fernão de Magalhães
Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...
arrived on the island in 1521 and became involved in warfare among the kingdoms, only to be killed in
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
by the warriors of
Datu
''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, especial ...
Lapu-Lapu
Lapulapu or Lapu-Lapu (ᜎᜉ̰-ᜎᜉ̰), whose name was first recorded as Çilapulapu, was a datu (chief) of Mactan in the Visayas in the Philippines. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan that happened at dawn on April 27, 1521, where h ...
, the sovereign in the island. However, oral tradition also dictates that the island where the
Battle of Mactan
The Battle of Mactan ( ceb, Gubot sa Mactan; fil, Labanan sa Mactan; es, Batalla de Mactán) was a fierce clash fought in the archipelago of the Philippines on April 27, 1521. The warriors of Lapulapu, one of the Datus of Mactan, overpowered ...
might have taken place in is
Poro Island
Poro Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Poro) is an island in the province of Cebu, located east of Cebu Island and west of Leyte Island. Two municipalities, Poro and Tudela, are located on Poro Island. It is one of the four Camotes Islands along with Pac ...
in the northeast instead. The oral tradition is backed by recent archaeological evidence of such a battle taking place in Poro island during the 16th century.
By 1730, the Catholic
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to:
*Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine
*Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs
*Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo
* Canons Regular of Sain ...
friars established the town of Opon. It was later renamed as the
city of Lapu-Lapu by means of the Republic Act 3134, signed by Pres. Carlos P. Garcia on June 17, 1961. Congressman Manuel A. Zosa, the representative of the Sixth District of Cebu, sponsored the Bill converting the former municipality of Opon into the present day City of Lapu-Lapu.
Economy
Apart from the airport, today the island is known for its industrial factories, which are some of the most successful industrial ventures in the Philippines. Many of them are located at the Mactan
Export Processing Zone
A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to cust ...
(MEPZ), an industrial tax-free zone opened in 1979 that includes over 35 business ventures, about 50 percent of which are Japanese-owned.
Also important to the island is its high-class tourism industry and the production of furniture, as well as guitars, ukuleles and other musical instruments.
Tourist attractions
Being one of the major tourist islands of Cebu, Mactan Island boasts of a diverse collection of tourist spots and attractions. Being a
coral island
A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of a coral reef which has grown to cover a far larger area under the sea.
Ecosystem
...
, Mactan offers some of the best diving, snorkeling, island hopping, jet ski, sailing and cultural activities of any island in the Philippines.
Gallery
File:Tropical-area-mactan-philippines.jpg, A view from a resort in Mactan where the sun is directly overhead at noon.
File:Crab in a sea anemone.jpg, A crab in a sea anemone in Mactan
File:Mactan-beach.jpg, Mactan beach
File:Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort & Spa, Cebu (aerial view).jpg, Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort
File:Arothron stellatus ballooned.jpg, An ''Arothron stellatus
''Arothron stellatus'', also known as the stellate puffer, starry puffer, starry pufferfish, or starry toadfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae. It is found in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific region.
Desc ...
'' in Mactan
File:Cephea cephea jellyfish.jpg, A ''Cephea
''Cephea'' is a genus of true jellyfish in the family Cepheidae. They are found in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Atlantic oceans. They are sometimes called the crown jellyfish, but this can cause confusion with the closely related genus ''Netros ...
'' jellyfish at Mactan
References
External links
*
Mactan International AirportLapu-Lapu City Government
{{Coord, 10, 18, N, 123, 58, E, type:isle_scale:100000, display=title
Islands of Cebu
Beaches of the Philippines
Coral islands
Lapu-Lapu City