GUAM & MACTAN ISLANDS: When Ferdinand Magellan of Portugal and Spain Meets Lapu-Lapu of Mactan

On June 7, 1494, Pope Alexander VI issued a Papal Bull "Inter Caetera" under the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing the world into two halves - the West went to Spain and the East went to Portugal. 

***(Map is at the bottom of the page.)

On order of the Spanish King, Charles I, Ferdinand Magellan promised the young King (18 years old) to bring immeasurable wealth to the kingdom. Specifically, Magellan was ordered to search farther for the Spice Islands. He must have been excited to prove his mettle, as an explorer, to the Monarch.  

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Earlier in 1510, Magellan assisted in the conquest of Goa, West coast of India and the hub of Spice Trade. 

In 1511, Magellan assisted the Portuguese in Malacca, Malaysia where he captured the Malay slave Enrique. 

The latter became his interpreter and brought Enrique on his return to Portugal where he began to plan his return to Malacca. There, the idea of serving the Kingdom of Spain was boiled. In short, the Portuguese will now serve the Spanish King to continue the search for more wealth and colonies for the kingdom.

Meanwhile, being stationed in Malacca gave Magellan the opportunity to go on island hopping. Just like today's Bloggers. He sailed to Luzon and Cebu and back to Malacca. In short, he was not a stranger in the Luzon and Cebu area. This was circa 1510-1511.

Then, he decided to go back to Portugal and in 1511 that trip was done. I'll just insert this idea for the Filipino readers - Magellan, therefore, did not discover the Philippines as the liars and fake historians of the past claimed.

Magellan knew during those visits that a powerful kingdom and rulers were already existing in this part of the world. These areas were then known as the Kampampangan area, Tondo, Maynilad, Cebu, and other kingdoms in the Visayuas. Rajah Solaiman, Rajah Lakandula, and the Kings of the Kapampangan,  Rajah Humabon of Cebu, Chieftain Lapu-Lapu of Mactan, Rajah Kolambu of Limasawa Island, were already rulers of powerful Luzones and Visayas kingdoms and settlements. 

A very rich kingdoms and settlements had rich culture and traditions and most of all - Government. (Shoutout sa mga fake historians dyan, lol. joke lang.)

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After seven or eight years stay in Portugal, Magellan decided, as mentioned earlier, to serve the King of Spain and continue his discovery of the world in search for more wealth like islands that produces spices, silk, gold, silver, and other wealth for the King of Spain. 

Enrique, his slave was with him all these years based on historical records. Enrique went with him back to Malacca now Malaysia. 

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Magellan Left Spain for Malacca for the second time. 

So, on September 20, 1519, (other historians say August 10, 1519, "bahala sila da" basta 1519 bala!), Magellan left Sanlucar de Barrameda in Southern Spain. He commanded five (5) ships and 270 men. The ships were: TCSSV - Trinidad, Concepcion, Santiago, San Antonio, and Victoria. Only Victoria with 18 men successfully returned to Spain on September 6, 1522, under the command of the Basque Juan Sebastian Elcano.  (en.wikipedia.org). 

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NOW, let's go back to Magellan's journey. 

This is a story of great ambition, courage, and determination not only to locate more spice islands, silk, gold, silver and other wealth.....but also to circumnavigate the world. Magellan will be faced with unimaginable disaster one after another. 

Will Ferdinand Magellan succeed or fail? 

Did Juan Sebastian Elkano (Basque for Elcano) circumnavigate the globe after the death of Magellan or was it Enrique, the Malay slave in Malacca that Magellan captured to serve as his Interpreter and brought to Portugal earlier in 1511 and back to Malacca in 1519? Or, technically, was it Magellan himself before he died on April 27, 1521?

Please, find your answer, in the story that follows. Let's go. 

Lapu-Lapu stood and waited for Ferdinand Magellan. (All photos by Touristang Pobre)

With the global power of the Spanish Empire, who would think, at that time, that in a faraway island in the Pacific Ocean, the Portuguese navigator under the employ of Spain would meet his final end?

Ferdinand Magellan was ordered by the King of Spain to look for more wealth and more spice islands, gold, silk, silver and others.  He journeyed far and wide until he reached the Pacific Ocean.  Tired and hungry, his remaining ships had to search for an island where they can dock, search for water and food and spend a brief rest.

Lapu-Lapu faces the coast of Mactan where the battle between his forces and that of Magellan will take place. 

Every year, the people of Mactan and Cebu hold a re-enactment of the Battle of Mactan on this coast of the island,

Guam Island

The weather was fine that day on March 6, 1521, when Magellan spotted a small island on the horizon. His ships glided towards the direction of that island which later on became known as Guam.  After the defeat of the Spanish against the Americans in the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico to the United States by virtue of the Treaty of Paris signed on December 10, 1898.

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What really happened why Spain ceded their colonies to America? 

According to Theodore S. Gonzalves in his December 18, 2018, article published on the website of the National Museum of American History, and we quote hereunder: 

"The mock battle offered Spanish forces in the Philippines an opportunity to save face by surrendering not to their Filipino charges of more than 300 years, but to militarily superior Americans. The Americans played the well-crafted role of savior. But Philippine freedom fighters were not convinced by either of the performances." haha....lokohin pa nila ang mga maru'.... aray. 

For a more read, here's the link:

The mock battle that ended the Spanish-American War | National Museum of American History (si.edu)

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On March 6, 1521, Magellan reached the coast of Umatac Bay, Guam Island in search of food and water for his sick and hungry men. Above photo captured by Henry C. Libo-on, Umatac, Guam Island, U.S.A.

Source: images.search.yahoo.com

Meanwhile, historical accounts revealed that Magellan and his men misbehaved while on Guam and this made the natives suspicious if not adamant to welcome the strangers. After collecting some coconuts and other edible crops, Magellan left Umatac Bay at Guam Island and continued his voyage in search of the spice island or more natural resources that can bring wealth to his Imperial Bosses in Spain. 

Touristang Pobre rides the carabao, one of the animals brought to Guam by the Spaniards. Carabao is the beast of burden in the Philippines, the colony of Spain just like Guam from the mid-1500s (c. 1540-60) to December 10, 1898. TP is at the Spanish Fort of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad on Guam that overlooks Umatac Bay, where Magellan and his men landed on March 6, 1521.

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Magellan's destination was uncertain as his crew of three remaining ships (Wikipedia), maneuvered the ships. Little did he know that his destiny was unfolding and that will put an end to his career as a navigator.

This is the Magellan's Marker on the beach of Umatac Bay, Guam.  Shown in the photo are my children, Naoki who is a resident of Guam and his wife, my daughter Farah and their children Aaron and Emi with my daughter Kristina and her mom Diva.  Photo by Henry Libo-on. 

Homonhon Island

After a week on the ocean, Magellan's fleet spotted another island in the vast Pacific Ocean. Specifically in the vicinity of Leyte Gulf, Eastern Samar. This is the island of Homonhon.

Source: visayas.poliltics.com.ph and Homonhon Island Photo. 

   

Homonhon Island is shown at the southern tip of Samar Island.  Source: images.search.yahoo.com  
The Map of the Philippines also shows the island of Cebu.  Mactan Island is about 30 minutes from Cebu.

So, on March 16, 1521 (Wikipedia) Magellan landed on this island which is now a part of the southernmost municipality of Leyte, the town of Guiuan.  Magellan and his men gathered some food and water on this uninhabited island.

Limasawa Island

When Magellan and his men were on the shores of Homonhon, the chieftain of Limasawa, Rajah Culambu saw them.  They developed a friendship.  On Easter Sunday of March 31, 1521, the first mass in the Philippine Islands was held at Limasawa.  It was officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama. A huge cross was erected at the site of the mass, a symbol of the Christianization of the island. (Wikipedia)

Historical Institute Marker on the site of the first mass in the Philippines held at Limasawa Island on March 31, 1521. Photo courtesy of Blogger Harly Limlingan Marcuap of Akrosdayunibers. Thanks, Harly for allowing me to publish this photo here. 

This is an Outrigger Boat that service the town of Padre Burgos on the Southern tip of Leyte to the island of Limasawa.  Travel time is about an hour. 

After spending a few weeks at Limasawa, Magellan continued his voyage to another island called Cebu.  Rajah Culambo guided him to the island on April 7, 1521. (Wikipedia).

Lapu-Lapu's statue took many, many years to be built here on Mactan.  With pressure from the local residents, civil society, local historians, and the local government, this statue became a reality.  Now, Lapu-Lapu is not just a name of the fish that lands on the frying pan or the face in a one-centavo coin but is now a huge statue that symbolizes freedom, patriotism, courage, and pride in one's tribe or people and their history and culture. 

The island of Cebu

When Magellan reached Cebu, he was welcomed by the natives of the island. He met and befriended Rajah Humabon.  Magellan stayed in Cebu for several days. He planted a cross on what is now known as the Magellan's cross which is located in front of Cebu City Hall.

Ferdinand Magellan wanted to establish a friendship with the chieftain of the island of Mactan.  But he was told that the local chieftain does not want to pay homage to Spain nor pay tribute.

Mactan Island

Magellan got interested to meet this man and he decided to do it on the morning of April 27, 1521. This decision was influenced by Cebu's Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula of Mactan. But when Magellan left for Mactan, the two Chieftains left behind and just watched Magellan and his men sailed in their boats to Mactan.

But Magellan got the surprise of his life when the natives of the island repulsed them.  Lapu-Lapu ordered them to go back.  Magellan refused, and to make the story short, the battle began at dawn, as the song goes, and Magellan was wounded.

Seeing that their captain was wounded and helpless, the Spaniards waded the waters to their boats and left Mactan.  Magellan met his destiny in Mactan.  The sad part of the story is that Magellan's body was never returned to the Spaniards nor to Rajah Humabon.

Magellan's monument on Mactan Island which was constructed through the assistance of the Spanish Government. 

Magellan was killed on April 27, 1521, at Mactan Island by Lapu-Lapu.   The insistence of Rajah Humabon to pay a gift to Lapu-Lapu in exchange for the body of Magellan did not materialize, so to speak.  It was a practice among ancient warriors that the head of the enemy or its body serves as the trophy for a war that was won.

Until today, Magellan's body was not found.  It was believed that Lapu-Lapu and his men must have buried it somewhere where no historians can pinpoint its location. Some historians claimed that Magellan died on April 28, 1521, on the island of Mactan.

Magellan died in his 40's (1480-1521, Magellan's Marker @ Umatac (you-ma-tak) Bay, Guam, U.S.A.)

Lapu-Lapu died in his 50's.

But the story of Magellan and Lapu-Lapu lived on and on for more than 500 years.  On March 16, 2023, will be the 502 years anniversary of this historical event.  This is immortalized in a song performed here by Philippines' Yoyoy Villame, a true blue Bisaya. Here's the song: 

Touristang Pobre with Ms. Jo and Ligut Segundino and with Al and Anem. 

Today, Magellan's monument remained a living symbol of his bravery in the name of the King of Spain.  Nearby, Lapu-Lapu's statue is also a living symbol of his bravery and that of his men to repulse the invasion of a foreign power of the island.  Lapu-Lapu's statue was facing the coast of Mactan where the Battle of Mactan is believed to have occurred many centuries ago.

Mactan is accessible by public transport, private vehicles, and rent-a-car or Vans for hire.  From Cebu City, Mactan Island is about 3o minutes.

Cebu City is connected by aircraft, ships, and buses from any point in the country.

Have a nice day in Mactan.  Have fun in the Philippines.  Have fun in Cebu.

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BUT WAIT.   

A group of people on the island of Camotes claim that the Battle of Mactan happened on their island in 1521.  Their proof?  The anthropological excavation in 1971 led to the discovery of skeletal remains of a Caucasian man with long legs and arms with combat tools like swords, lance, helmet, and many others.  The skeletal remains were unearthed on the Mactang Beach on Camotes Island. Photo hereunder. 

The islanders believed that the tall man's skeletal remains could be that of Ferdinand Magellan. In my opinion, who else could that be? Only one skeleton of a Caucasian man? Is it possible that after killing Magellan in Mactan, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu who lived in Camotes Island, brought the dead Magellan to Mactang beach and bury there? The family of Lapu-Lapu lived on that coastal area of Mactang Beach during those years, the locals told me. A story that was handed down from generation to generation which we call "oral tradition". 

Also, they told me, that since time immemorial, they were the only kind of people who populated the islands of Camotes and that they are Filipinos, short, brown, and do not have those battle gears.  Alright. 

Some residents also claimed that they might be descendants of Lapu-Lapu. Their great grandparents lived on Camotes Island. 

 A group of Boatmen told me about the excavation of 1971.  They said that the excavation was done in the area at the center of the three coconut trees shown in this picture.  Could this be the burial site of Ferdinand Magellan? 

 This is the Mactang Beach, on Camotes Island.  This group of islanders believed that the Battle of Mactan could have happened here because of the excavation of 1971. To me, the beach area where the excavation was done, could have been the burial site of Magellan. 

 The picture shows my newfound friend who told me that she is a descendant of Lapu-Lapu.  Her forefathers were also residents of Camotes Island. She hailed from Cebu. The Battle of Mactan happened on March27, 1521 and it is 502 years ago this month of April 2023.

 (Coffee time at Atlantic City, New Jersey).

The entrance to the Mactang Beach, Camotes Island, Province of Cebu, Philippines. 

Hereunder is the map showing the Timeline of Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage from Spain to Mactan. After his death on Mactan Island, one of his men, Juan Sebastian Elcano continued his voyage back to Spain.  

Elkano (Basque for Elcano) left Cebu without the body of the deceased Magellan because the King of Mactan Lapu-Lapu refused to turn it over to them even if Rajah Humabon promised valuable gifts to the Chieftain of Mactan. 

Reference: images.search.yahoo.com

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Now, did the Malay Slave and interpreter of Magellan named Enrique, the first person to circumnavigate the world? Here's the answer from History Dot Com - www.history.com.

"Opinions differ, but many historians give the honor to Magellan’s Malay slave, Enrique. Magellan had seized Enrique from Malacca during an earlier 1511 voyage to the East Indies, and the Malay later served as the round-the-world expedition’s interpreter in the Pacific islands."

Other stories revealed that Enrique of Malacca (or Henry of Malacca) had done the circumnavigation of the globe a decade earlier in 1511 when he was captured by Magellan in Malacca and brought to Portugal that year, and then brought to Malacca again, Limasawa and Cebu in 1519 voyage from Spain. 

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"So as people debate the meaning of the voyage and who gets credit (Magellan, who was killed in the Philippines, or Juan Sebastián Elcano, or all surviving crew?), it is fitting that the first circumnavigator turned out to be an unlikely hero, neither Spanish nor Portuguese nor Italian, but rather a young Austronesian slave captured in Malacca a decade earlier." (www.enriqueofmalacca.com  - "Enrique of Malacca First Circumnavigator")

After Magellan's death, Enrique disappeared from historical records, but historians believed he must have been "freed" at the death of his master and returned to Malacca or his native Sumatra. 

My Comments: 

There were accounts that Enrique was a young man when captured as a slave by Magellan. He was well verse in many languages. He spoke Portuguese, Spanish, Malay, and other dialects spoken by the people of Homonhon and Limasawa. There, accounts said, that Enrique was excited in his interaction with the natives of Limasawa. Is he closer to home? 

Therefore, as what some writers said, Enrique was excited in this voyage back to Malacca because he was more interested to be near home. Not in the idea of historians that he was interested about circumnavigating the world but more to find his way home. 

Trivia: 

Enrique was the highest paid member of Magellan's crew. He received. 1,500 Maravides, the same amount that Duarte Barbosa, Magellan's in-law, received. 

This is how a Maravedis looked like today - 

1828 and 1833 Maravedis. 

(Maravides www.bing.com)

King Carlos III Maravedis 1808. 

(www.bing.com)

I think this is Queen Isabel Maravedis, 1835.

(www.bing.com)

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The maravedí (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾaβeˈði]) or maravedi (Portuguese pronunciation: [mɐɾɐvɨˈði]), (from Arabic: الدينار المرابطي Almoravid dinar), was the name of various Iberian coins of gold and then silver between the 11th and 14th centuries and the name of different Iberian accounting units between the 11th and 19th centuries.

(Source: www.en.wikipedia.org)

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FOR A DETAILED HISTORY ABOUT ENRIQUE OF MALACCA please check the link below: 

Here's another account - Enrique of Malacca: Magellan's Unlikely Explorers: Stories of the First Circumnavigation

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***Map showing the RED LINE that divided the world between two Super Kingdoms, the West to Spain and the East to Portugal by virtue of the Treaty of Paris. (Link here: Treaty of Tordesillas (nationalgeographic.org)

Source: National Geographic at https://educational.nationalgeographic.org

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Trivia #2

On Elcano's return to Spain, he missed the routes, (nagtalang si Tiyoy), from Cebu (the area now where Fort San Pedro stands, and Malacanang Sa Sugbu) he sailed towards Negros Oriental (Dumaguete) and sailed towards Palawan. He stopped by the area where Narra Town is now established. But the Tagbanuas met him with spears. He decided to sail on towards the next place which is now known as Brooke's Point. There, Elcano was successful in searching for food and water. He asked the natives so many questions, according to this account. He then passed by Balabac Island, located at the tip of Palawan Island. Balabac Island is, technically, more than 300 miles to Malaysia. 

To commemorate Elcano's visit to Balabac Island, the National Historical Commission planted a Marker on the grounds of the Phililppines Coast Guard Headquarters, that faces the sea. 

Few days later Elcano went back to Balabac and interacted with the natives. Did he experience difficulty reading the map? My suspicion. Why? Magellan's slave Enrique was not with them. After the death of Magellan, he left a Will stating that Enrique should be freed and to receive, I think, 30? thousand Maravedis (gold or silver, the pictures are on the last page.) I suspect, as most writers did, that Enrique must have deserted while in Cebu. Surely, he will find his way home to his native Sumatra since he was an expert navigator and sailor in his own right. The talent that Magellan valued so much about Enrique as some history writers said. 

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References:

1. Book on Philippine History by Gregorio Zaide. 

2. Guam Visitors Bureau Handbook. 

3. Historical Marker on the Landing of Magellan on Guam Island, located on the beach of Umatac Bay, Guam Island, U.S.A. 

4. History Dot Com as stated previously.

5. National Geographic here - Treaty of Tordesillas (nationalgeographic.org)

6. Wikipedia and/or en.wikipedia.org

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Touristang Pobre has copyright to all of his photos in this blog, except those previously mentioned as coming from secondary source. Thank you. Muchas Gracias, Obrigado, Salamat, Terima Kasih, Thank you. 

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Updated on March 8, 2019.
Updated on March 20, 2020

Reviewed on March 16, 2021.  

Reviewed on April 27, 2023.

March 16, 2023, is the 502 years anniversary of Magellan's arrival in the Philippines. Today is also the 502 anniversaries of Christianity in the Philippines when Magellan and Venetian Traveler and Chronicler Antonio Pigafetta arranged the first mass on the island of Limasawa on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521. The mass was officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama. But before this, the locals or early Filipinos have their own religion, Islam while the others worshipped nature, among others. 

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