Mactan Island
Encyclopedia
Mactan is an island located a few kilometres from Cebu Island
in the Philippines
. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova
. The island is separated from Cebu by the Mactan Channel
which is crossed by two bridges: the Marcelo Fernan Bridge
and the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge
.
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport
, the country's second busiest airport is located on Mactan island.
in the 16th century. Portuguese
explorer Ferdinand Magellan
arrived on the island in 1521 and became involved in tribal warfare among the tribal groups, only to be killed in battle
by the warriors of Datu Lapu-Lapu
, one of the chieftains in the island.
By 1730, Augustinian friars established the town of Opon, that 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.
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.
The only aquarium attraction
in the Visayas is also located on the island.
Cebu Island
Cebu is an island of the Philippines. It is the main island of Cebu Province at the center of the Visayan Islands, south of Manila.It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on both sides by the Cebu Strait and Tañon Strait...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova
Cordova, Cebu
The Municipality of Cordova is located in the 6th district of the Cebu Province in the Philippines. The mainland of Cordova lays on a separate island, in front of the southside of Mactan Island. It is connected to the main island of Mactan over 3 bridges. The total population in Cordova is 45,066...
. The island is separated from Cebu by the Mactan Channel
Mactan Channel
The Mactan Channel also known as Opon Channel is the channel between main island of Cebu and the smaller Mactan Island. The body of water is located within Metro Cebu separating Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island from Mandaue City and Cebu City in mainland Cebu...
which is crossed by two bridges: the Marcelo Fernan Bridge
Marcelo Fernan Bridge
Marcelo Fernan Bridge is an extradosed cable-stayed bridge located in Metro Cebu, Cebu in the Philippines. It spans across Mactan Channel connecting Cebu Island to Mactan Island....
and the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge
Mactan-Mandaue Bridge
Mactan-Mandaue Bridge or popularly called The First Mactan-Mandaue Bridge is the first of two bridges spanning across the Mactan Channel and connecting the islands of Cebu and Mactan.- History :...
.
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport is a major international airport in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is located in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Metro Cebu and is the country's second primary gateway...
, the country's second busiest airport is located on Mactan island.
History
The island was a Muslim settlement before it was colonized by SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the 16th century. Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
explorer Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
arrived on the island in 1521 and became involved in tribal warfare among the tribal groups, only to be killed in battle
Battle of Mactan
The Battle of Mactan was fought in the Philippines on April 27, 1521. The warriors of Lapu-Lapu, a native chieftain of Mactan Island, defeated Spanish forces under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in the battle.- Background :...
by the warriors of Datu Lapu-Lapu
Lapu-Lapu
Lapu-Lapu was the ruler of Mactan, an island in the Visayas, Philippines, who is known as the first native of the archipelago to have resisted the Spanish colonization...
, one of the chieftains in the island.
By 1730, Augustinian friars established the town of Opon, that 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.
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 (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, Mactan offers some of the best diving, snorkeling, island hopping, jet ski, sailing and cultural activities of any island in the Philippines.The only aquarium attraction
Mactan Island Aquarium
Mactan Island Aquarium visitor attraction is the first of its kind in the Visayas and the only public aquarium outside of Luzon on all of the 7107 islands of the Philippines....
in the Visayas is also located on the island.