Lapu-Lapu sets aside P700T to celebrate 50th Charter Day

By Jose P. Sollano
Published June 16, 2011 The Freeman

CEBU, Philippines - The Lapu-Lapu City government has allocated P700,000 for the city’s 50th Charter Day celebration on June 17.

City Mayor Paz Radaza said the amount was taken from the budget allotted to her office this year, P400,000 of which will be spent for the fireworks display to be held at the Mactan Channel near the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

Other barangays in the mainland will also display their own fireworks.

In June 17, 1961, then President Carlos P. Garcia signed the law converting the municipality of Opon into a city, now known as Lapu-Lapu City.

The 50th Charter Day celebration is dubbed “Independent Lapu-Lapu-Singkuwenta Na.”

Malacañang has declared June 17, as non-working holiday in Lapu-Lapu City.

The Fresh Catch

To experience the local culture, take a visit to the wet market. Part of the local day-to-day life is to go to the wet market to buy fresh seafoods, vegetables and meat usually in the early morning or in the afternoon.  Locally known as "mercado" (Spanish term for market), every community has at least one.  Usually it is smelly and wet from the melted ice used to keep the seafood cool but there is something about the mercado that you always miss. Aside from the low prices, you get to experience the food and the local way of life everyday.

The Buaya Wet Market is quite popular for the variety of choices.  Some seafoods are not available in the smaller markets within the area.

Fresh meat stalls 

Choices of exotic fresh seafoods lined along the street

Edible seaweeds.  LEFT PHOTO:  Locally known as lukot, a green noodle-like secretions of sea hare,  is best eaten as a ceviche-style salad or cooked with vegetables in fish broth.  RIGHT PHOTO:  The lato, a green seaweed with grape-like formations attached to a stem. It can be eaten ceviche-style or just a dip in a good coconut vinegar with a dash of salt.  Both are sold at P10 per small container.

A vendor cutting sea cucumbers, skinned and cleaned,  to small pieces. It's cooked ceviche style and a good partner for grilled foods --- price is P30 per small container.

LEFT PHOTO: Aninikad, a small cone shell,  is cooked with vegetable soup and can be eaten only with a pin or needle to get the meat inside the shell; sold at P20 each small container.   RIGHT PHOTO: The swaki or sea urchin gonads, sold in rhum bottles, are flesh taken out from sea urchins. It is rich and creamy with a strong ocean scent, and eaten sushi style with lemon; sold at P50 each bottle

Fish vendors along the streets

Or in the assigned fish stalls inside the fish market

You can buy slices of high-grade fish too, prices between P150 - P250 per kilo in the stalls inside. Think of sashimi or other culinary delights for that special fish fillets... how about a tasty fish broth for the sliced head and tail?  Yummy! 

Fruit stalls.  Going bananas!

A mini grocery store in the market... vegetables, spices, salt, oil, noodles and other kitchen condiments.  Vegetables and spices are quite pricey in the open markets in Mactan --- vendors usually get their stocks from Carbon Market. However, supermarkets only sell in packs while you can buy a piece in the merkado.

How about some sodium-packed diet?   LEFT PHOTO:  Wide array of dried fish... crispy fried and dipped in vinegar with chili. Best eaten with cold rice "bahaw" and kinamot style (with hands).  Burrrp!   RIGHT PHOTO:  The legendary ginamos, salted and fermented anchovies, is best served with squeezed lemon, chili and slices of tomatoes as appetizer.  Locals love to eat ginamos with boiled sweet potato or boiled green saba banana.  Both are salty and has a vivid smell.

 

Where do you do your grocery shopping these days?  If you love the adventure and the ocean smell, plus the extra savings, the wet market is the best place for you.

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HOW TO GET THERE:

Take a multicab ride with Maribago/Soong sign. Tell the driver to stop at the "Mercado sa Sac", the old name for the Buaya Market. If you're driving your own car, there's a small private parking area a few meters from turning right at Ibo road.  The parking area is on the left side and charges P15 everytime you park.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO THERE:

The freshest catch and a variety of choices are available in the afternoon between 3pm-4pm.  Exotic foods are already sold out if you go there late.

Note:  The largest wet market in the island is the Opon Public Market. 

Vice Ganda to perform in "Independent Lapu-Lapu... Singkwenta Na!"

(The Freeman) Updated June 16, 2011 12:00 AM 

CEBU, Philippines - Stand-up comedian, actor, talk show host and resident judge of ABS-CBN’s “Showtime” Vice Ganda will tickle Oponganons' funny bones as he gives a one-of-a-kind performance in Lapu-Lapu's golden anniversary.

Expect to witness a grand kick-off party jam-packed with fun, merriment and activities as it all unfolds on June 17, 2011 under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

The City Government of Lapu-Lapu proudly turns 50 after decades of building its name and proving to be the tourism mecca of Cebu.

The upcoming 50th Charter Day Celebration with the theme “Independent Lapu-Lapu... Singkwenta Na” will go down memory lane as well as look ahead to a more dynamic and prosperous years.

The event will start at 1pm with yachts and boats moored at the foot of the second bridge, Lapu-Lapu side. They will kick off the event with an ala spring-break party.

Also at 1pm, a ping-pong tournament will be held. By 5pm a chess tournament and a chess exhibition by international master Enrico Sevillino and national master Eric Gloria at 5pm.

A six category folding bike contest will also happen in the afternoon along with a sunset DJ.

A free concert will start around 7pm. At 9:50 pm, Mayor Paz C. Radaza will deliver her speech which will be aired live over radio station dyRC-AM.

A count up to 50 will start minutes before the launching of the simultaneous fireworks in all the 19 mainland barangays and Olango island.

A golden fireworks will also be launched in between the first and second bridge at exactly 10:00 pm.

Vice Ganda's performance will immediately follow after the golden fireworks. Entrance is free.

Each of the mainland barangays and Olango island will also hold a variety show and fireworks display on the same day.

The Conqueror Got Conquered

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese working for Spain, embarked on an adventure in the early 16^th century that would later led to European’s rule over the world. He was the first seafarer to have discovered a westward route to the East, discovering many lands in Asia and in the Americas --- earning him the honor as the greatest navigator in the world of all time.

He led the 270-men expedition that achieved the first circumnavigation of the world, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, passing the southern tip of South America, conquering the Pacific and then going back to Spain. Ironically, Magellan did not complete the voyage; he was killed by the natives of Mactan island in the Philippines on April 27, 1521.  Only 17 men survived and aboard Victoria, the only surviving ship that arrived in the port of San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain  on September 1522.

Magellan’s men failed to recover his dead body even after offering jewels and merchandise to the natives.  To honor their great leader, they put a marker of stones and sticks on the very spot that he fell down and died.  Today, the marker is now part of a park popularly known as the Mactan Shrine.