The Mactan Channel also known as Opon Channel is the channel

Channel (geography)

In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...

 between main island of Cebu

Cebu Island

Cebu is an island of the Philippines. It is the main island of Cebu Province at the center of the Visayan Islands, south of Manila.It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on both sides by the Cebu Strait and Tañon Strait...

 and the smaller Mactan Island

Mactan Island

Mactan is an island located a few kilometres from Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova...

. The body of water is located within Metro Cebu

Metro Cebu

Metro Cebu is the main urban center of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Metro Cebu is located along the central eastern portion of the island including the nearby island of Mactan...

 separating Lapu-Lapu City

Lapu-Lapu City

The City of Lapu-Lapu is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, a few kilometer off the main island of Cebu and also covers the Olango Island Group further to the southeast, plus a few other islets. It is part of the...

 on Mactan Island from Mandaue City

Mandaue City

The City of Mandaue is a city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. It is one of the three urbanized cities in the island and forms a part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. Mandaue City is located on the middle eastern coastal region of Cebu, bordering to its right-side are Mactan Island where...

 and Cebu City

Cebu City

The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...

 in mainland Cebu. It is one of the three channels that connect the Cebu Strait to the Camotes Sea - the other two being Olango Channel and Hilutangan Channel. It is the main passageway for ship

Ship

Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

s navigating between Cebu

Cebu

Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...

 and Bohol

Bohol

Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...

.

History

The port of Cebu - the second largest port in the country - is located along Mactan Channel and has been used since the Spanish Colonial Period

History of the Philippines

The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans via land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. The first recorded visit from the West is the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, who sighted Samar on March 16, 1521 and landed on Homonhon Island southeast of Samar...

. It was organized a Channel in Cebu on March 1,1958.. The channel was first spanned by the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge

Mactan-Mandaue Bridge

Mactan-Mandaue Bridge or popularly called The First Mactan-Mandaue Bridge is the first of two bridges spanning across the Mactan Channel and connecting the islands of Cebu and Mactan.- History :...

 in 1971 and then by the Marcelo Fernan Bridge

Marcelo Fernan Bridge

Marcelo Fernan Bridge is an extradosed cable-stayed bridge located in Metro Cebu, Cebu in the Philippines. It spans across Mactan Channel connecting Cebu Island to Mactan Island....

in 1999.

External links

• Kadaugan sa Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City Web Site