Letter from Cebu (No.2) “Philippine History started in Cebu – the battle of Mactan”

According to the “Philippine History: Expanded and Updated Edition” by Teodoro A. Agoncillo and Fe B. Mangahas, a quarrel between two chieftains of the neighboring island of Mactan occurred. Rajah Sula asked Magellan’s help to defeat his rival, Rajah si Lapulapu, who according to Sula, refused to recognize the King of Spain as his sovereign. Magellan at once accepted the invitation to interfere in the local quarrel in order to show his might. He and around sixty of his men, all well-armed, sailed for Mactan early in the morning of April 28. Si Lapulapu, who refused to listen to Magellan’s demand that he pay tribute to Spain, prepared to fight to the end.

As stated in “Story of Philippine History” written by Shizuo Suzuki, Lapulapu had around 1,500 soldiers. They were located outside the range of cannons loaded on the Magellan’s ships. So, Magellan and his men, got off the ships, and tried to land the island walking through the shoal. They launched a hand-to-hand combat. On the other hand, the Lapulapu forces surrounded the Magellan forces from three directions, the front, the right and left hand sides. Magellan was wounded in the leg. Seeing this, Mactan fighters rushed at him and killed him with their spears. None of his body was recovered. A shrine was established later at a spot where he was killed. It is now called “Magellan Marker”.

The death of Magellan must be a tragedy for Spaniards. But, the battle of Mactan was remembered by the Filipinos as the first event in which the Filipinos repelled outside power by force.

With the death of Magellan, the Spaniards fled to their ships and left. Some of them, however, returned to Cebu and there, while attending a party given by Raja Humabon, were massacred by some Cebuanos. This horrific event happened because, according to Filipino historians, some Spaniards robbed the natives and some women were sexually assaulted.

The remaining Spaniards decided to leave Cebu. Of the three ships, one was burned because it has become useless. Two ships remained: the Victoria and Trinidad. The Victoria was to sail to Europe by way of Africa, while the Trinidad was to return to Europe by the way of the Pacific. The Trinidad was captured by the Portuguese, while the Victoria, commanded by Sebastian del Cano, succeeded in reaching Spain.

（reference）
“Philippine History: Expanded and Updated Edition”, by Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Fe B. Mangahas, C&E Publishing Inc., Quezon City, Philippine (2010)
“Introduction to Filipino History” by Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Garotech Publishing (2006)
“Story of Philippine History” by Shizuo Suzuki, Chuko Shinsho (1997)