Speaking during the 27th annual observance of the Kadaugan sa Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, Mrs. Arroyo said poverty is the number one enemy of the people.
The President, wearing jeans and a Kadaugan sa Mactan-printed shirt, praised the Cebuanos for keeping up with its effort to make the province more progressive and one of the favorite tourist destinations in the country.
Mrs. Arroyo's five-minute speech came after watching the 30-minute Kadaugan celebration, which was a reenactment of the battle between native chieftain Datu Lapulapu and the invading Portugese explorer and navigator Ferdinand Magellan in pre-Hispanic times.
"With this celebration, Mactan is one of the favorites among the tourists because of your famous and beautiful beaches," the President told the crowd amid deafening applause.
Arroyo also mentioned the coming holding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit this December 11 to 14, when 18 heads of state and other dignitaries will come to Cebu.
She praised the hospitality of the residents of Lapu-Lapu City, which is one of the venues of the international gathering along with Cebu and Mandaue cities. "Friendly kaayo ang mga tawo sa Mactan," said the President.
About a thousand witnessed the Kadaugan celebration but it was the movie actors who earned the biggest cheers.
The actors who reenacted the Kadaugan were Alfred Vargas who played Lapulapu, Ramon Christopher Gutierrez as Magellan, and sexy star Criselda Volks as Bulakna, the wife of Lapulapu.
Hundreds of city residents also joined the colorful reenactment as native dancers and soldiers of Mactan island.
The Kadaugan sa Mactan depicted the victory of the natives against foreign invasion when Lapulapu and the natives defeated Magellan and his men on the beach of the now known barangay Mactan.
Kadaugan sa Mactan (literally means "Victory at Mactan") was used to be called Bahugbahug sa Mactan ("Melee at Mactan") and was first staged with a reenactment in 1981.
It is now deemed among the significant events in Philippine history that have withstood as testimony to the rich heritage of the Filipinos. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan and Jose P. Sollano