Lapu-Lapu marks 50th founding day

CEBU, Philippines - Around 20,000 Lapu-Lapu City residents and visitors from neighboring cities and neighboring municipalities witnessed the 50th founding day celebration of the city at the Millennium Park.

Highlighting the celebration was a fireworks display that lasted for 16 minutes, which was launched from two pumpboats.

City officials said it was the first time in the country where pyrotechnics were launched from the water. Hongkong and Taiwan had also launched fireworks from the water in the past.

Some of the pyrotechnics used in the display came from barangays Babag I and Babag II.

The celebration started at 1 p.m. with sports contests featuring a folding bike race, table tennis and chess tournaments, and later followed by a concert until 9:50 p.m.

Moments later, Mayor Paz Radaza delivered a speech.

Radaza said that four hundred ninety years ago, the people of Mactan Island beamed with pride when Datu Lapu-Lapu defeated the first foreign invaders.

Dili tingali nato matugkad ang garbo nga gibati nila niadtong panahona, dihang ilang gipilde si Magellan. Basin sa ilang kalipay nag-sinayaway to sila - nag-street dancing o basin nag-rampada pa gani. Ug nausban kini, Radaza said.

Radaza said that exactly fifty years ago "dakong garbo ang gi- bati sa mga Oponga-non when the former Municipality of Opon became the City of Lapu-Lapu on June 17, 1961."

"Ug sukad sa pagkahimo sa Lapu-Lapu nga siyudad, nothing prevented its development. The City of Lapu-Lapu started to chart its own course to where we - proud Oponganons - stand now," Radaza said. We became a first class city, standing proud among our neighboring cities and we did not stop from there, the mayor further said.

"Tungod sa atong paningkamot nahimo pa gyud ta nga Highly Urbanized City in 2007.Wala na gyu'y makapugong sa pag-abante sa Lapu-Lapu tungod kay pinaagi sa paningkamot ni kanhi Mayor ug karon Congressman Boy Radaza, nahimo ta nga Lone Congressional District niadtong 2009," Radaza said. (FREEMAN)