The Kadaugan sa Mactan Experience

When the opportunity to be part of this year's Kadaugan Sa Mactan was presented to me, I got really ecstatic. Spearheaded by Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Harry Radaza, the city's Department of Tourism decided to document the festivities of the two week-long event by putting in a team to film the celebration's highlights. Along with former TV reporter Maryjoy Montero, I had the exciting privilege be the project's host and go around the streets of Lapu-Lapu and experience first-hand what it meant to celebrate such monumental success. For the said project, the City's Department of Tourism has CCTN as their local media partner.

While Kadaugan sa Mactan has been celebrated for several years now, the initiative to put an emphasis on the historic event took place on Radaza's first term as Councilor, as he is also the one who founded the Kadaugan Street Party and RAMPADA, the fancy street dance parade.


The very essence of the event is to celebrate how local chieftain Lapu-Lapu, who is also considered the first Filipino hero, led his people to resist Spanish Colonization, consequently putting to death Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Doing so has also delayed the Philippines' captivity from Spaniards for more then 40 years.


True enough, the spirit of victory was prominent as many of the city's celebrations were pulled off flawlessly. Reyna ng Bulakna, now an annual dance pageant, also emerged as one of the most sought after shows. The queen is believed to be the wife of Datu Lapu-Lapu, therefore an attractive and talented young woman is what Reyna Bulakna seeks to discover. Euvelyn T. Samson of Brangay Looc, Candidate No. 7, won the coveted crown for this year. The rest of the winners are as follows: Diane Cathleen Y. Melgar of Barangay Pajac (first runner-up), Krishna Julianne Ybañez of Barangay Mactan (second runner-up), and lastly Regine Taneo of Barangay Babag (third runner-up).


Another prestigious offering Kadaugan has to showcase is its glamorous street parade with hundreds of dancers dressed in elaborate and festive costumes exemplifying Datu and Hara. The said competition accommodated various dance groups with talents coming from the brangay category and an open category. The winner for this year's barangay category is Barangay Babag, having won the biggest prize money. The rest of the winners are as follows:
2nd Barangay. BUAYA , 3rd Barangay. LOOC , 4th Barangay. PUSOK and 5th Barangay .IBO.


The open category awarded the Mactan Dynamics Dance Company as the rightful winner. Coming in second was MC Cuy Entertainment, and the third placers were Inayawan Dance Company.

Based on earlier reports, the budget for this year's Kadaugan is P5 million.

Other than the two major contests, the whole festival kicked off two weeks ago during the Kadaugan Sa Mactan Food Festival held at the Mactan Shrine, where numerous food establishments and luxurious resorts put up stalls and eating areas open for the public. Having witnessed the opening night--not to mention having eaten many of the dishes and the delicacies the entire event had to offer--I can say that the entire commemoration, up until the re-enactment, was all-conquering.


Thousands of people also took part of the three-night street parade. Roads were closed and hardcore party-goers had a blast lollygagging and dancing around basically just everywhere. Both locals and foreigners enjoyed the sight of seeing other people equally as nonchalant and as merry. The whole experience can be likened to the vibe you get from Sinulog, except the tone just wasn't church-y, but historical.

Celebrities Vin Abrenica and Joseph Bintangcol played Lapu-Lapu and Ferdinand Magellan respectively for this year's re-enactment at the Mactan Shrine.

The twerking contest, the Kadaugan Color Beer Run, the DJ mixing contest, the Sunugan Rap Battle and also the Higante Parade were just some of the several activities that also stood out this year!


Not only was I able to co-host the documentary for the Kadaugan sa Mactan festival, I also gained new friends, ate a lot of food and witnessed a whole new festival so rich in culture and history. Getting to meet the three famous social media-influencers behind "Ato Ni Vines" (https://www.facebook.com/atonivines2k14) and getting to catch-up, even just for a while, with former schoolmate and long-time acquaintance Miss Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell was also nice.

All in all, just being part of one of the most affluent and triumphant celebrations in the entire Province of Cebu is definitely one of the highlights of my year.

Congratulations, Lapu-Lapu!


Bjorn Tabanera
Contributor - Lifestyle

*Bjorn is a Trainer and occasional events host and freelance writer


Jay Young is a Musician, Film Scorer, photography hobbyist, Toy collector and a work-in-progress writer who is in need of another way to make money to purchase more toys. Loves music, films, anything art, and tv shows. Single and searching.