Kadaugan sa Mactan 2025 Pacman to return as Lapulapu; vlogger Habibi is Reyna Bulakna
It has been 17 years since Manny Pacquiao played Datu Lapulapu during the Kadaugan sa Mactan in 2008, where he, along with his wife Jinkee as Reyna Bulakna and Dennis Trillo as Ferdinand Magellan, re-enacted the historic 1521 battle that marked one of the earliest instances of Filipino resistance against Spanish colonization.
Pacquiao’s performance was quite memorable in that the 2015 re-enactment was dedicated to him ahead of his then-upcoming fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas which took place a month after the festival.
This year, the former boxing champion will once again step into Lapulapu’s shoes for next month’s Kadaugan sa Mactan, with this edition’s re-enactment titled “Adlaw ni Lapulapu: Victory in Mactan”, set to take place on April 27.
This time, he will be joined by Visayan vlogger Crissa “Habibi” Liaging as Reyna Bulakna, while Belgian model Kevin Lahousse, a Lapu-Lapu City resident, will once again play the famed Portuguese explorer.
Garry Lao, Lapu-Lapu City’s Head of Tourism, acknowledged in a press conference yesterday that Pacquiao’s participation may receive mixed reactions as he is currently gunning for a Senate return in the upcoming midterm elections.
Lao assured that Pacquiao’s presence in this year’s Kadaugan will not be politicized nor serve as a promotion for his candidacy.
“We can assure that the re-enactment will focus solely on celebrating [Lapulapu’s] victory 504 years ago. We will honor our history,” Lao said.
He added that other politicians, including Sonny Angara, who they hope to secure as this year’s guest of honor, have also been invited.
“They will be at the festival out of respect, and nothing else. We want our celebration to be purely about our history,” he said.
According to Lao, Pacquiao had already offered to reprise the role last year and even waived his talent fee.
As for the decision to cast Habibi as Lapulapu’s wife, Lao said she has the “[right] personality and appearance” for the role of Reyna Bulakna.
“She will be flying to Mactan for rehearsals three days before the re-enactment,” he shared.
Lao also expressed satisfaction with the coordination between his office and Pacquiao’s team despite his busy schedule.
“We have been communicating about his schedule,” he said. “I am happy since my staff will be flying to General Santos for Pacquiao’s costume fitting.”
He further revealed that the Cebuano dialogue will still be pre-recorded rather than performed live by the cast.
Aside from the re-enactment, the month-long event will also feature food, fashion, and other exhibitors.
Another highlight is the “Sadsad sa Kadaugan”, a vibrant street dancing and ritual showdown where 30 barangays are grouped into ten contingents. During the press conference, organizers revealed the 20 participants who have been grouped into 10 pairs.
Other entertainment events include the third season of Lapu-Lapu Got Talent, a K-pop dance competition, and various evening music and cultural performances.
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