A BIGGER statue for Lapulapu and a historical marker for Rajah Humabon will soon be established in Cebu to acclaim the contribution of these Cebuanos during the country’s pre-colonial era.This is what Dr. Rene Escalante, chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), said during the closing of the Cebu City Quincentennial Commemoration on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at the Rajah Humabon Monument on P. Burgos St. across the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.Escalante said they had invited President Rodrigo Duterte to lead on April 27, the laying of the time capsule for the Lapulapu Memorial Shrine and Museum at the Liberty Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City where the bigger Lapulapu statue would be placed.The proposed historical marker will also be processed by the NHCP to include the monument of Rajah Humabon in the country’s National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures, said Escalante.Once the Rajah Humabon Monument is listed in the registry, government agencies like the Department of Tourism and the Department of Education will help in propagating the legacy and contribution of Humabon to Philippine history, he said.“With that, he (Humabon) will be known not only here in Cebu but also in the other parts of the country,” Escalante said in Tagalog.Escalante added that the installation of the marker will also retain and protect the site where the monument of the rajah is located.The closing ceremony also marks the anniversary of the blood compact between Humabon, the leader of Cebu, and explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was representing the Spanish Empire.Leader like HumabonIn his speech, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the Quincentennial Commemoration shall never close so that “we will not miss the wisdom and lesson of yesterday.”“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” Rama said.Rama added that choosing a leader who can articulate culture and arts will immortalize the legacy of Humabon who was known in history as a great leader.“Our respect for your greatness, it has been highlighted about your leadership and we wish that in our time we could have that leadership inculcated, transferred and equipped to whoever is deserving for this country,” said Rama.Rajah Humabon first welcomed Magellan, leading to the rajah’s baptism into the Christian faith. But after the Battle of Mactan, Humabon drove the remaining Spanish forces out of Cebu after they either committed abuses against the people of Cebu or under threat from Lapulapu, according to the National Quincentennial Committee.Lapulapu had consistently refused to recognize the authority of Spain.Lapulapu shrineOn April 27, Lapu-Lapu City will also hold the 501st anniversary of the “Victory at Mactan” and the closing ceremony of the city’s Quincentennial Commemorations.A groundbreaking ceremony will then be held for the Lapulapu Memorial Shrine and Museum.Lapu-Lapu Mayor Junard Chan expressed his gratitude to Duterte for making this project a reality, saying, “President Duterte has really fulfilled his promise of a museum for Lapulapu.”Chan said this will be a new destination in the city that can attract local and foreign tourists alike.Started in 2021, the Quincentennial Commemoration involved a series of activities to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Magellan in 1521, the victory of Lapulapu over Magellan in the Battle of Mactan, the first circumnavigation of the world, and other related events.(IRT)