The 505th Kadaugan sa Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, was filled with joy under the theme “Pride of the Island; Strength of Nation,” uniting the community through various activities at the Liberty Shrine and Lapu-Lapu Shrine in April 2026.
Government and Community Support
Led by the Lapu-Lapu City Government under Mayor Cindi King Chan and Congressman Ahong Chan, the celebration honored history while showcasing the talent and strength of the community, with support from the Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Office headed by Garry Lao and his staff.
Event Highlights
According to the event calendar, the celebration began with the “Night of Performance” from April 6 to 9, followed by the grand opening of stalls and JPark Night on April 10. This was followed by the K-pop Dance Competition on April 11, Lapu-Lapu Got Talent eliminations on April 12, Vendors Association Night on April 14, and Pepsi Night on April 15. The event continued with BisayaFlix New Moon Night on April 16, and Island Central Mactan Night on April 17, leading to one of the highlights on April 18 and 19.
Dance Competition
On April 18, the Ignite Volume 2 Dance Competition was held, organized by Spark Studio under Wella Williams, also known as KC of Baywalk Bodies. The group “Ako Budoy” emerged as champion, followed by Freestyler 2.0 as first runner-up, and Atmospheric Gesture as second runner-up.
Arm-Wrestling League
On April 19, the 1st Asia Natural Arm-Wrestling League (ANAWL) took place, approved by the Filipino Armwrestling Federation. Athletes from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao participated. Highlights included supermatches led by Josh Nicholas—a Filipino arm-wrestling champion based in Thailand, world champion at IFA 2023, and one of Asia’s top-ranked arm wrestlers—along with Mr. Bontoc, Barako Bull Fianza, and Marc King.
Competition Results
In the competition results, Limuel Cobra topped the lightweight division (right and left hand), Jeffrey Belamide won the welterweight (right hand) and Israel Ekid in left hand; Abraham Kerchaten won the middleweight (right hand) and Israel Ekid again in left; Mark Ben Luis won the heavyweight (right hand) and Jan Marc Fianza in left; while Vinz Roi Chiong championed the super heavyweight (right hand) and Mark Ben Luis in left. Other placers included Markrenzy Crisostomo, John Mark Muares, Shaun Chispa, Gino Dela Peña, Hans Daniel Bullecer, Jhomel Ranoa, Gino Gomez, Shane Michael Fuentes, and other athletes who showcased their skills in various divisions.
Women's Open Category
In the women’s open category, Leady Rose Vasquez emerged champion, followed by Kim Ann Enriquez as first runner-up, and Ghenwa, a Lebanese, as second runner-up.
Special Guest
Adding honor to the event was the presence of Ray Querubin from Bohol—a 4x Philippine Strongest Man and current title holder, Static Monster Champion (Open), Powerlifting Champion (Open), former member of the Weightlifting National Team, arm-wrestling champion, and member of Team Philippines in Netflix Physical Asia—who inspired athletes and spectators.
Continuing Celebrations
The celebration continued with the Eskrima Festival on April 21 and Eskrima Cultural Showdown on April 22 at Hoops Dome, followed by the Lapu-Lapu Got Talent Grand Finals on April 23, and the Kadaugan Fun Run on April 25.
The celebration concludes today, April 27, at the Liberty Shrine with the grand reenactment of the Kadaugan sa Mactan, a symbol of courage, unity, and pride of the Filipino people.
