Inclusion will be the main goal for the 2025 iteration of Kadaugan sa Mactan.
What is Kadaugan sa Mactan?
A Cebuano term for “victory in Mactan”, it refers to the highly anticipated festival held every April 27th in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. It’s a celebration of the historic Battle of Mactan that took place on the same date in 1521.
An article in Sunstar Cebu mentions that this year’s celebration could be its grandest yet, with Lapu-Lapu’s new City Tourism Officer Garry Lao officially taking over in organizing the festival. (2025)
According to him, they will be bringing something fresh and new, including several first-time events that aim to make the 46th anniversary of the festival more inclusive.
The month-long celebration officially starts on April 4th, culminating on April 27th, in line with the anniversary of the Battle of Mactan.
NOTABLE EVENTS FOR KADAUGAN SA MACTAN 2025
- Food, Fashion, & Festivities
A market that promotes products and delicacies from different barangays in Lapu-Lapu is usually held at the Liberty Shrine near Punta Engaño. This year, there will be one big change.
The Sunstar article reiterates that all 30 barangays (both in the mainland and island parts of Lapu-Lapu) will have their own stalls by the shrine, allowing them to feature food, fashion, and local products for visitors to purchase.
This will be the first time that those from far-flung areas in Mactan like Olango Island will be featured, incorporating a more diverse market with a unique set of products.
All tenants are required to register at the Tourism Office from February 18th to 28th. On March 9th, the City Tourism Office announced that all slots had officially been taken.
The decision to add all the city’s barangays comes from Garry Lao’s vision of being more inclusive to the city’s Muslim community. According to an article in The Freeman, around 10,000 Muslims live in the city. (2018)
- Cosplay Competition
The festival will have a cosplay competition, but it won’t feature fan-favorite pop culture characters, but rather important people in Philippine history.
Participants must dress up as Ferdinand Magellan, Datu Lapu-Lapu, and Reyna Bulakna, all of whom played important roles during the Battle of Mactan.
The competition is open to Lapu-Lapu residents over 18 years old, with registration running from the second to the fourth week of March. Each contestant must prepare a 1 to 2 minute performance while they are in character.
Pre-judging starts on April 4th, with the finals held on April 23rd at the Liberty Shrine.
Cash prizes for the winners are:
1st Prize: PHP15,000
2nd Prize: PHP 10,000
3rd Prize: PHP 7,000
- The Philippine Culinary Masters
The festival will also feature cooking competitions hosted by the Philippine Chapter of the World Association of Master Chefs at the Island Central Mactan on April 25th and 26th.
The series will feature a total of 10 challenges dedicated to all kinds of cooking enthusiasts, from students and home cooks to professional chefs.
Challenges:
- Modern Filipino Individual (Open to Professionals & Students)
Modern Filipino Entrée
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - Modern Filipino Dream Team (Open to Professionals & Students)
Appetizer, Main Dish, and Dessert
PHP 1,500 Registration Fee - Ajinomoto Umami Challenge (Open to All)
Modern Filipino Entrée using Ajinomoto products
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - Creative Breakfast Competition (Open to All)
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - Creative Pasta Competition (Open to All)
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - The Ultimate Steak Competition (Open to All)
Mystery box challenge
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - No Bake Dessert Competition (Open to all professional bakers, students, and pastry chefs)
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - 3-Tier Wedding Cake Category (Open to all professional bakers, students, and pastry chefs)
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee - Freestyle Wedding Cake Competition (Open to all professional bakers, students, and pastry chefs)
PHP 1,000 Registration Fee
Participants must register through the link posted on the World Association of Master Chefs – Philippine Chapter Facebook Page. They must send proof of transaction after paying the registration fee through GCash or online bank transfer.
- Sadsad sa Kadaugan
The annual “Sadsad sa Kadaugan” is also returning!
This is usually performed in the afternoon right after the reenactment at the Liberty Shrine. Here, contingents parade through the streets enroute to the Lapu-Lapu Shrine.
Just like the Food, Fashion, & Festivities concept, this will feature all barangays in Lapu-Lapu. This time, however, there will be street dance performances and a ritual showdown.
The Tourism Office funded a workshop with veteran theater director Chris Millado leading it.
This will also include 10 clusters, each representing a pair of barangays within Lapu-Lapu. The final cluster will include all barangays on Olango Island.
Cluster 1: Looc and Poblacion
Cluster 2: Pajo and Pusok
Cluster 3: Ibo, Buaya, and Bankal
Cluster 4: Mactan and Engaño
Cluster 5: Maribago and Pajac
Cluster 6: Marigondon and Agus
Cluster 7: Basak and Subabasbas
Cluster 8: Babag and Calawisan
Cluster 9: Gun-ob and Canjulao
Cluster 10: All barangays on Olango Island, including the three islets—Pangan-an, Caohagan, and Caubian.
REENACTMENT
The festival’s main highlight is a theater performance depicting the grueling battle between early Cebuanos and the Spaniards who were under the command of Ferdinand Magellan.
This is usually held on the morning of April 27th at the Liberty Shrine.
The first ever Kadaugan sa Mactan was held on April 27th, 1979, 458 years after the original battle in 1521.
Reports state that it was initially called “Bahug-Bahug sa Mactan”. Bahug-bahug is the Bisaya term for “brawl” or “free-for-all”.
The first celebration was organized by David S. Odilao Jr., the head of the Ministry of Sports and Youth at the time. Because of the grandiose performance, April 27th was declared “Battle of Mactan Day”, becoming a Special Non-Working Holiday for Lapu-Lapu residents.
A year later, Odilao organized the Sinulog Festival, making him both the Father of Sinulog and the Father of the Kadaugan sa Mactan.
The unique play is notable for casting famous Filipino celebrities to portray the roles of Datu Lapu-Lapu, Reyna Bulakna, and Ferdinand Magellan, drawing hundreds in attendance.
Notably, it uses the massive space of the shrine to recreate the intense battle. It even features the arrival of the actors by boat on the beach right next to it.
As of writing, there is no news about who will play these characters, but Garry Lao and the Tourism Office have already screened many of its supporting cast, including the soldiers and the early Cebuanos.
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Kadaugan sa Mactan depicts one of the island’s most important historical moments, garnering hundreds of viewers for the performance held at the Lapu-Lapu Shrine.
It’s a month-long celebration with so much to look forward to.
Hotels, malls, and other establishments all have their celebrations during the month, and the city government will host many activities in line with the festivities.
With so much to do, it’s easily become a highly awaited cultural event on the island.
REFERENCES:
Codis, Denise Mae. 2025. “Kadaugan sa Mactan 2025 promises grandest edition yet.” Sunstar Cebu.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/kadaugan-sa-mactan-2025-promises-grandest-edition-yet
Tudtud, Christell Fatima. 2018. “Muslims safe in Lapu-Lapu City.” The Freeman.
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2018/06/17/1825389/muslims-safe-lapu-lapu-city
