On the morning of April 27, 1521, Magellan, together with his soldiers, went to Mactan Island with the goal of punishing Lapu-Lapu and setting an example. Magellan was killed instead, and his force defeated. Popular notion places Magellan's killer as Lapu-Lapu, but historians generally agree that it was one or two of Lapu-Lapu's people who wounded and killed Magellan. See Battle of Mactan.
In his honor, the town of Opon on Mactan Island in Cebu province was renamed Lapu-Lapu City. An early Church of Lapu-Lapu can be seen near the shoreline facing Mandaue City.
Lapu-Lapu is also the common name of the grouper fish in the Philippines, and was named after the hero. See Serranidae.