MICE CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

By Dr. Zuzana Adamson

My husband’s grandfather, Colonel Hans Christian Adamson, flew on a special mission in a B-17 with Eddie Rickenbacker to see General MacArthur in 1942 during World War II, but their plane was shot down, and eight of them ended up on a raft in the middle of the ocean. This mission was one of the most important military-diplomatic trips of that time, as they were carrying messages intended to accelerate the return of American forces to the islands. Hans was prepared to die for the liberation of the Philippines. This fascinating family history of my husband added something extra to my trip to the Philippines.

As part of the 2026 ATF – ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cebu, we delegates were offered PRE- and POST-Tour programs to explore the Philippines, its local culture, sea and islands, monuments, history, and special activities associated with all of these.

For the PRE-Tour, I was assigned to the BAGANI: Lapu-Lapu City Cultural Tour programme. This was a perfect fit. Getting to know a national hero who is revered throughout the Philippines for his courage in facing colonisers was exactly what resonated with my soul. For people who stood up for their values during the Covid plandemic, you couldn’t offer a better theme.

Filipinos revere both Santo Niño, the Infant Jesus, and their national hero, Lapu-Lapu.
According to history, Lapu-Lapu was the ruler of Mactan Island. Along with his warriors, he defeated the Spanish colonisers and killed Ferdinand Magellan, the “discoverer” of the Philippines, who landed there in 1521.

Immediately after landing, Magellan began occupying the island of Cebu and ordering the local inhabitants to submit to the crown and recognise the King of Spain as their sovereign ruler. Anyone who refused to submit to this colonisation was to be punished. But Magellan underestimated the intelligence, courage, and combat experience of the natives led by Lapu-Lapu and was defeated. Thanks to this victory, the Philippines was spared colonisation efforts for the next 54 years. Lapu-Lapu is a national symbol of resistance against colonialism.

At the statue of Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City at the Shrine Market, youth groups performed a martial dance called Arnis for us, and then the dancers taught us its basic moves. We had a lot of fun and enjoyment; the combination of practical learning and the performance was excellent.

The next point on the programme was local handicrafts with a market, where I received a beautiful round shell placemat as a spontaneous gift from the lady who made it. I gave her Czech koruna as a gift in return.

Marina Seaview is a luxury restaurant with an ocean view that offers unforgettable culinary experiences as well as the popular Halo-Halo dessert. In the restaurant, our tour guide showed us how the dessert is made, and how ice cream, candies, and other ingredients are mixed in a coconut shell. It is truly delicious and has an interesting purple colour.

Cebu and Lapu-Lapu are cities with an extensive tradition of handicraft production. Our steps then led to the Alegre Guitar Factory. This business has been family-owned for three generations and is one of the most sought-after guitar shops.

Guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles are handcrafted here and, during production, employees use a variety of woods, including very rare ones. The most expensive guitars are made of ebony wood from Madagascar. During our visit and tour of the factory, where we watched skilled craftsmen create these beautiful instruments, the owners and musicians played guitars and ukuleles for us and sang, and those of us who could sing joined in.

It was time wonderfully spent. Afterwards, we were given paints, took our places at tables and chairs, and each of us painted our own ukulele. I wrote on mine that I am from CzechoSlovakia, one of the few debt-free countries, and we took photos with our creations. I left the ukulele as a keepsake, hanging in a place of honour on a sacred tree.