29 December, 1838

TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Luis Lardizabal was appointed governor general of the Philippines until February 1841. Lardizabal was the one who requested the government that a monument be established at Mactan to commemorate Ferdinand Magellan’s discovery of the islands.

Mactan is also the site of the first battle between native Filipinos and Europeans. Magellan rediscovered the Philippines and landed in Homonhon Island (now part of Guiuan, Eastern Samar) on March 16, 1521. However, he met his death on April 27, 1521 at the hands of local chieftain Lapu-Lapu in Mactan, Cebu who refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of Spain over the islands. Notably, during Lardizabal’s term, the province of Nueva Viscaya was created and the Precious Corrientes de Manila, a weekly newspaper in Spanish and English, was published.

Lardizábal died at sea on his way to Spain.

(Ref: Philippine News Agency; Photo from http://bit.ly/2hH08WF)