Lapulapu is widely known for the 

Battle of Mactan. On April 27, 1521, he and his men

defeated the Spanish forces, led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellanand his native
allies Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula.[6][7]Magellan's death ended his voyage of
circumnavigationand delayed the Spanish occupation of the islands by over forty years [8] until
the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi in 1564. Legazpi continued the expeditions of
Magellan, leading to the colonization of the Philippines for 333 years.

Modern Philippine society regards him as the first Filipino hero because of his resistance
to imperial Spanish colonization. Monuments of Lapulapu have been built all over the
Philippines to honor Lapulapu's bravery against the Spaniards. The Philippine National
Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection use his image as part of their official seals.

Besides being a rival of Rajah Humabon of neighboring Cebu, very little is reliably known
about the life of Lapulapu. The only existing primary source mentioning him by name is the
account of Antonio Pigafetta, and according to historian Resil B. Mojares, no European who
left a primary record of Magellan's voyage/vessel "knew what he looked like, heard him
speak (his recorded words of defiance and pride are all indirect), or mentioned that he was
present in the battle of Mactan that made him famous." [9] His name, origins, religion, and fate
are still a matter of controversy.