Lapu-Lapu City is a first class[1] highly urbanized[2]city in the Philippine province of Cebu. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, a few kilometers off the main island of Cebu and also covers the area of Olango Island further to the southeast region, plus a few other islands. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of about 292,530 people.
Lapu-Lapu City borders Mandaue to the west, Cebu Strait to the east, Consolacion to the north, and Cordova to the south.
History
In the 16th century, Mactan Island was colonized by Spain. Augustinian friars founded the town of Opon in 1730. It became a city in 1961 and was renamed after Native Royalty the DatuLapu-Lapu, the Island's chieftain who defeated Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. This battle is commemorated at the Lapu-Lapu shrine in Punta Engaño.
Politician Manuel A. Zosa, the representative of the Sixth District of Cebu, sponsored the Bill converting the former municipality of Opon into the present day City of Lapu-Lapu. This was the Republic Act 3134, known as the City Charter of Lapu-Lapu which was signed on June 17, 1961 by former Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia.
Barangays
Lapu-Lapu City is politically subdivided into 30 barangays.[1]
(These cities are separate from the province in political administration, but grouped under Cebu by the Philippine Statistics Authority, in informal sense, and for mapmaking simplicity)
