Lapu-Lapu, chartered city of the central Philippines, in Cebu Province, on the western coast of Mactan Island. Lapu-Lapu lies about 5 km (about 3 mi) across Cebu Harbor from the city of Cebu and is part of the Cebu metropolitan area. The short Mactan-Mandaue Bridge connects Lapu-Lapu and the rest of Mactan Island with Mandaue on Cebu Island.
Lapu-Lapu is a port and industrial center noted for its thermal installations, which burn petroleum for energy; corn and flour milling; fishing; and handmade guitars. The Mactan International Airport is located adjacent to Lapu-Lapu, as is the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), an industrial tax-free zone that opened in 1979. The MEPZ includes approximately 35 business ventures, about 50 percent of which are Japanese-owned. Tourism is also important in Lapu-Lapu; visitors are drawn to the excellent beaches and coral reefs of eastern Mactan.
