Activities announced to mark 500th anniversary of Battle of Mactan

September 10, 2019

Tourism Undersecretary Arturo Boncato Jr.  on Tuesday announced activities to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Battle of Mactan in 1521.

According to the NQC, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and and the Department of Tourism (DOT), thirteen activities are planned.

The 500th anniversary of the victory in Mactan will be celebrated on April 27, 2021 through simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies of various government institutions and in public spaces.

Other activities were made prior to the Quincentennial.

Among these were the 2019 PhilPop Bootcamp: Quincentennial Songwriting Project, National Quincentennial Commemorations Playlist Press Con, Launching of the Nationwide Quincentennial National Park Design Competition.

One of the main events for 2021 is the National Solidarity to 500-Day Countdown where historic sites, monuments, cultural centers, public places, and edifices will be simultaneously lighted up.

The main sites for the solidarity are the 21 historic landmarks accross Manila, Lapu-Lapu City, and Davao City.

Events planned for next year include Launching of the Nationwide Quincentennial Art Competition, 7th International Conference of the International Council on Historical and Cultural Cooperation - Southeast Asia, and and the one year countdown to Quincentennial.

For 2021, NHCP chair and NQC vice cfairperson Rene Escalante announced three major events, including the victory of Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan.

One of the events announced were the 500th anniversary of the circumnavigation of the world - which according to Escalante is an event which will also be celebrated in Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, and Guam.

The country will also celebrate the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in the country.

Activities led by Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will also focus on the first Easter Sunday in the country at Limasawa and the first baptism held at Cebu.

"We will be celebrating this from the Asian-Filipino point-of-view," Escalante said. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS