“Cebu, Queen City of the South” by Gervasio Lavilles, the brains of the Cebu City Charter - Part 2

In the book, “CEBU: History of its Four Cities & Forty Nine Municipalities” written by Lawyer Lavilles (brains of the Cebu City Charter, councilor of the then Municipality of Cebu, a street in Tinago named Bagumbayan has been renamed after him) published in 1965. Lavilles wrote this an opening article reprinted here:

This is continued from the previous article:

“At first, Humabon secretly prepared for battle. But he was informed by a Moro trader that he had been to Siam and witnessed the superiority of the white men’s arms and fighting ability in that part of Asia, he decided to welcome the Spaniards. Magellan was then received well, and the customary blood compact and exchange of gifts followed.

“To Christianize the natives was the first objective of Spanish colonization everywhere. To acquire riches and renown was only secondary. Magellan immediately worked to fulfill the first mission. He set to induce Humabon to become Christian. The chief agreed. As a result, he and his queen, together with his followers were baptized.

“Next Magellan, asked Humabon to demand of neighboring datus to accept the Spaniards and Spanish sovereignty. A number of them readily yielded. But Lapulapu, chief of Mactan, refused. He even challenged Humabon to a battle. This defiance was made known to Magellan who forthwith ordered that an attack be made on the challenging chief of Mactan. He gathered sixty of his men and as many of Humabon’s warriors who could go, not necessarily to fight with the Spaniards but to witness the encounter. Magellan believed that with his superior arms he could easily defeat Lapulapu and thereby show to the natives the invincibility of the Spanish arms and the futility of opposing them. He underestimated Lapulapu’s strength which, according to the Spanish historian, Pigafetta, outnumbered Magellan’s men by 1,500 men.

“The Spaniards started the battle by leaving their boats and wading in shallow water to engage Lapulapu and his warriors in hand-to-hand combat. When the battle joined, almost immediately the natives recognized Magellan as the commander of the Spaniards. They concentrated their attack on him. Magellan fought most bravely; but the odds were against him. He fell mortally wounded together with eight of his men and four of Humabon’s warriors. The rest of the Spaniards and their allies retreated to their ships.” (To be continued)