ARTWORK: Ed Lustan
PALO, Leyte — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday expressed joy after seeing a large statue of Lapulapu, the country’s first hero, during the inauguration of the Leyte provincial government complex where the new provincial capitol building is located.
“When I arrived here, I was very happy to see a statue of Lapulapu because you know, for the longest time, the bisaya didn’t have their own hero,” he said in his speech.
“He’s the first to fight the Spaniards and he killed (Portuguese explorer Ferdinand) Magellan,” he added.
The President said that when he visited Cebu, he noticed that the statue of Magellan was taller than Lapulapu, prompting him to order local officials to build a bigger and taller statue of the hero.
In 2018, the President signed Republic Act 11040 declaring every April 27 as a Lapulapu Day.
Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said they have placed a statue of Lapulapu within the complex to honor a Visayan who fought for the liberation against foreign invaders.
“He is a Visayan hero and not just a Cebuano hero and I agree with the President that we have to recognize his contributions and sacrifices to our country,” he said.
The six-foot Lapulapu statue, which was designed by Architect Carlos Pio Zafra, is made of brass-colored antique patina.
Aside from Lapulapu’s statue, also found in the place were the monument of American general Douglas MacArthur who led in the Leyte Landings which paved the way for the country’s liberation; the First Mass in Southern Leyte, and a monument depicting Super Typhoon Yolanda.
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