CHAPTER 3: HISTORICAL CONTROVERSIES

Site of the First

Mass
GROUP 6
 Our Learning Goals

Learning Learning Learning

Outcome 1 Outcome 2 Outcome 3

To analyze the To identify the To gain knowledge

different different about the
evidences on the accounts of the significance of the
site of the first controversies. site of the first mass
mass. in the Philippines.
 Fransisco Albo

• Greek Sailor of the 16th

century
• Part of Magellan and
• Elcano’s Expedition
• Pilot of Magellan’s flagship
• One of the 18 men who
returned to Spain in 1522
 Antonio Pigafetta

• Italian scholar and explorer

• One of the 18 survivors who
returned to Spain in 1522
• Chronicled the expedition of
Ferdinand Magellan
 REV. FR. Pedro de
Valderrama

• Augustinian friar
• A missionary from
Ferdinand Magellan’s
crew
 FIRST CATHOLIC MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Was held March 31, 1521

• Easter Sunday
• Presided by Father Pedro de Valderrama
• Marked the birth of Roman Catholicism in the
Philippines
Where was the first mass
held?
 BOLINAO, PANGASINAN

In front of the St. James the Great Parish Church, located in Bolinao,
Pangasinan, is a marker stating that the first mass was celebrated in the
Philippines in 1324.

After landing and taking refugee in Bolinao, Pangasinan during a stormy

weather, Father Odorico, a courageous and religious Franciscan missionary,
celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass in honor of their safe journey and his mission.
He also indoctrinated and baptized many of the Malay immigrants in Bolinao
during that time.
 HOMONHON, EASTERN SAMAR

• Tomas “Buddy” Gomez III stated that before Limasawa, there was
Homonhon, where Magellan and party stayed for 8 days, sandwiched
between two Sundays, their last day being Palm Sunday.
• Homonhon but was unrecorded
• Chronology not Geography.
• “Homonhon before Limasawa. Palm Sunday before Easter Sunday. The
only “First Mass” was in Homonhon on Palm Sunday, March 24, 1521.”
 MASAO, BUTUAN

• In 1872, a monument to commemorate the site of the first mass in the

country was erected in Butuan.
• In 1953, the citizens of Butuan ask the Philippine Historical Committee
to rehabilitate the monument or place a marker on the site.
• A Filipino historian, author and politician named Gregorio Zalde from
the town of Pagsanjan in Laguna, claims that the location of the first
mass is in Butuan base on Pigafetta’s account.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE

• Former House of Representatives Jaime C. de Veyra stated that the first mass was
celebrated in Limasawa not in Butuan.
• Historian Pablo Pastells stating by the footnote to Francisco Collin’s Labor
Evangelica that Magellan did not go to Butuan but from Limasawa to Cebu.
• American academic historian James Alexander Robertson agreed
with Pastells in a footnote that “Mazaua” was actually Limasawa.
• In the account of Pigafetta, the port was not in Butuan but an island named
Mazua. Pilot of Magellan’s flagship Francisco Albo does not mention the first
mass but he writes that they erected a cross on a mountain.
EVIDENCES
 PANGGAINAN & HOMONHON
BOLINAO, PANGASINAN HOMONHON, EASTERN SAMAR
The evidences given by the side of The evidences from Tomas “Buddy”
Pangasinan as the site of the first mass Gomez III claiming that the site of the First
might be true since it was stated that Mass could actually have been held in
the Thanksgiving Mass led by Father Homonhon and not in Butuan nor Limasawa
Odorico was celebrated in the year 1324 is believable since he cited records showing
which was way earlier than the other 3 that Magellan stayed in Homonhon for eight
places’ date of celebration. It is also days including the Palm Sunday. Also, the
possible that Ferdinand Magellan wasn’t fact that Pigafetta nor any of the survivors
the one who started the First Mass in the of Magellan expedition didn’t mention that
Philippines because there are also some the Easter Mass in Limasawa was the ‘first’
sources saying that there were other so there’s a possibility that the First
foreigners who’ve been in the country Mass happened in Homonhon but was
before aside from Magellan. only unrecorded.
Both the side of Pangasinan and Homonhon has a
point, but there is a lack of further and important
evidences to prove their claims especially to the
side of Homonhon. Simply stating that Magellan
stayed in Homonhon is not actually a strong
argument to prove that the First Mass happened
there.
 MASAO, BUTUAN
1. The name of the place- The relevance of “Masao” to Antonio Pigafetta’s “Mazaua”
2. The route from Homonhon- According to the primary records, again, the expedition travelled
20 to 25 leagues from Homonhon, their first landing point, to the site of the first mass, taking a
west southwest course. If they had been at Limasawa Island, the distance is only about 14.6
leagues, or one half of that length. Moreover, the island of Limasawa is blocked from
Homonhon by the tip of Southern Leyte.
3. The latitude position- Some of the primary sources locate the place at 90 North latitude, and
others at 9 2/3 degrees. The latitude position eliminates Limasawa, because it is closer by
ten degrees, and strengthens the claim of Masao, Butuan because it is exactly at nine degrees.
4. The route to Cebu. The route to Cebu taken by the explorers is almost exactly similar to the
one now taken by motor vessels from Cebu to Butuan. The King of Masao (Kolambu) even
guided the explorers to Cebu and acted as their interpreter and intermediary when they met the
Cebu king. On the contrary, there is no sea traffic from Limasawa to Cebu, then or now. And
the distance to Cebu, according to Pigaffeta, was 35 leagues (140 miles). If it were Limasawa
that they came, the distance would only be 80miles, or only half of the alleged distance
travelled.
 MASAO, BUTUAN
5. The geographical features
• The bonfire: the explorers where attracted to the light present the night before they came
to shore. Now, the name “Masao”, in Butuan on precisely means “bright”, which could
refer to the local custom of celebrating a harvest by cooking rice flakes in open fires. By
contrast, there are no rice fields in Limasawa.
• The balanghai: which was a prominent feature of the story of their stay in the first
kingdom. It was said that the king came to their ship in a “balanghai”, and Pigaffeta and
his companion attended a party in a ritual “balanghai”, with the local king. Butuan is now
the site of at least nine excavated “balanghai” relics; by contrast, Limasawa has no
significant archaeological relics or “balanghai” tradition.
• Abundance of gold: the Western explorers got excited at the abundance of gold in Masao
and Butuan, for that was the main currency at that time. Both archaeological relics (e.g.
the “Gold Image of Agusan”)and gold mines today attested to the abundance of gold in
the Agusan valley. However, there is no gold in Limasawa.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
1. THE EVIDENCE OF ALBO’S LOGBOOK
Francisco Albo’s Log: Route of Magellan’s Expedition in the Island of Saint
Lazarus.
On March 16, 1521, as they sailed in a westerly course from Landrones, they saw
land towards the northwest but owing to many shallow places, they didn’t
approach it. They found out later that its name was Yunagan. They went instead that
same day southwards to another small island named Saluan, and there
they anchored. They saw canoes but fled at the Spaniard’s approach. Then Sailed to
Gada where they took a supply of wood and water. From Pigafetta’s testimony,
this seems to be the “Acquada” or Homonhon. They then continue
to Sail towards a large island, Seilani, that was inhabited and was known to have gold.
Selani (called Ceylon by Pigafetta) was the island of Leyte. In Albos account the location
of Mazaua fits the location of Limasawa. However Albo does not mention the first
Mass, but only the planting of the cross upon the mountain-top.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
2. THE EVIDENCE FROM PIGAFETTA
A. Pigafetta’s testimony regarding the route
The route taken by the Magellan expedition may be reconstructed if we follow Pigafetta's
account day by day. Here is a summary of his account.
1. Saturday, 16 March 1521— Magellan's expedition sighted a "high land" named "Zamal"
which was some 300 leagues westward of the Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.
2. Sunday, March 17 1521- "The following day" after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on
"another island which was uninhabited" and which lay "to the right" of the above-mentioned island
of "Zamal." (To the "right" here would mean on their starboard going south or southwest.) There they
set up two tents for the sick members of the crew and had a cow killed for them. The name of this
island was "Humunu" (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees North latitude. Magellan
named the entire archipelago the "Islands of Saint Lazarus", the reason being that it was the Sunday in
the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned for the Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh
chapter of St. John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
3. Monday, 18 March 1521— In the afternoon of their second day on that island, they saw
a boat coming towards them with nine men in it. An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan
asked for food supplies, and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies in "four days”.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
4. There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon. Also they saw there some indications that
there was gold in these islands Consequently Magellan renamed the island and called it the " Watering
Place of Good Omen" (Acquada la di bouni segnialli).
5. Friday, 22 March 1521— At noon the natives returned. This time they were in two boats, and they brought
food supplies.
7. Magellan's expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, 17 March 1521, to the Monday of
the following week, 25 March 1521.
8. Monday, 25 March 1521 — In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of
Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day (25 March) was the feast-day of the Incarnation, also
called the feast of the Annunciation and therefore "Our Lady's Day." On this day, as they were about to
weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed
his narrow escape from death as a grace obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
on her feast-day.
9. The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was "toward the west southwest, between four
islands: namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien." Very probably "Cenalo" is a misspelling in
the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map calls "Ceilon" and Albo calls "Seilani": namely the
island of Leyte. "Hiunanghan" (a misspelling of Hinunangan) seemed to Pigafetta to be a separate island, but
it is actually on the mainland of Leyte (i.e. "Ceylon"). On the other hand, Hibuson (Pigafetta's Ibusson) is an
island east of Leyte's southern tip.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
b. The evidence of Pigafetta’s map
We have reproduced these maps in these pages. Note that they
are all drawn facing South, i.e. with the South at the top of the
page, probably because Pigafetta first encountered some of
these islands while they were sailing southwards from
Samar. ?From a comparison of these maps, the following
inferences seem justified: ?1. Mazaua (Mazzana in the map)
is a small island which lies off the southwestern tip of the
larger island of Ceilon (Southern Leyte), and is to the east of
the island of Bohol. It lies near the passage between Bohol and
the western coast of "Ceilon" (Leyte). ? 2. The island of Mazaua
in Pigafetta's map, therefore lies in a position roughly
equivalent to the actual position of the island of Limasawa. ? 3.
In no way can Mazaua be identified with Butuan, which is
situated in another and much larger island (which we now
call Mindanao), the same island in which "Calagan",
"Cippit", and "Mamgdanao" are also located.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
c. The Two Native Kings d. An Argument from Omission

• Butuan is a riverine settlement.

There is confirmatory evidence in It is situated on the Agusan River.
the presence of two native “Kings" The beach called Masao is in the
or rajahs at Mazaua during the delta of that river.
Magellan visit. One was the King of • The fact that there is no mention
Mazaua, Rajah Colambu/Kolambu — of the river is a significant fact in
who later guided the Magellan Pigafetta's account of their seven-
expedition to Cebu. The other was a day stay at "Mazaua." We must
relative namely the King of Butuan, therefore take him literally:
Rajah Siawi/Siagu. Mazaua was an island surrounded
by sea, not a river delta.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
e. The Seven Days at “Mazaua”
March 28, 1521( Holy Thursday)- In the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen a light the night
before a small boat (bolo to) came with eight natives to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as presents. This was
Thursday in holy week.
March 29, 1521 (Holy Friday)- Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he could
provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they had come as friends not as enemies. The native king and
his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of Magellan's expedition as guests for the
night. One of the two was Pigafetta.
March 30, 1521 (Black Saturday)- Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and drinking with
the native king and his son. Pigafetta deplored the fact that although it was Good Friday they had to eat meat. Early in the
morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter day, Magellan sent the priest ashore with some men to
prepare for the Mass. Later in the morning Magellan landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated,
after which a cross was venerated.
March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday)- While on the summit of the highest hill, Magellan asked the two kings which ports he
should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of food than were available in that island. they
replied that there were three ports to choose from: Ceylon, Zubu and Calagan and Zubu was the port with the most trade.
April 1, 1521 (Monday)— Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that day because
the two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout of the night before.
April 2-3, 1521 (Tuesday-Wednesday)—Work on the harvest during the "next two days“.
April 4, 1521 (Thursday)— They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
3. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE OF ALBO AND PIGAFETTA

Taking the evidence of Albo's log-book together with that from Pigafetta's account, we may take the following
points as established:

1. Magellan's expedition entered Philippine waters south of the island of Samar and dropped anchor at
Homonhon where they stayed a week. Then they sailed westward towards Leyte and then southwards
parallel to the eastern coast of that island and that of the adjoining island of Panaon. Rounding the southern tip
of the latter, they anchored off the eastern shore of a small island called Mazaua. There they stayed a
week, during which on Easter Sunday they celebrated Mass and planted the cross on the summit of the
highest hill.
2. The island of Mazaua lies at a latitude of nine and two-thirds degrees North. Its position (south of Leyte) and
its latitude correspond to the position and latitude of the island of Limasawa, whose southern tip lies at 9
degrees and 54 minutes North.
3. From Mazaua the expedition sailed northwestwards through the Canigao channel between Bohol and
Leyte, then northerwards parallel to the eastern coast of this latter island, then they sailed westward to the
Camotes Group and from there southwestwards to Cebu.
4. At no point in that itinerary did the Magellan expedition go to Butuan or any other point on the Mindanao coast.
The survivors of the expedition did go to Mindanao later, but after Magellan's death.
 LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE
CONFIRMATORY EVIDENCE FROM THE LEGAZPI EXPEDITION
There is confirmatory evidence from the documents of the Legazpi expedition, which sailed
into Philippine waters in 1565, forty-four years after Magellan. One of the places that
Legazpi and his pilots were anxious to visit was precisely Mazaua, and to this end they
inquired about "Mazaua" from Camotuan and his companions, natives of the village of
Cabalian at the southeastern end of the island of Leyte. Guided by these natives, the Legazpi ships
rounded the island of "Panae" (Panaon), which was separated from Leyte by a narrow strait,
and anchored off "Mazaua' — but they found the inhabitants to be hostile, apparently as a result of
Portuguese depredations that had occurred in the four-decade interval between the Legazpi and
the Magellan expeditions. From Mazaua they went to Camiguing (which was "visible" from
Mazaua), and from there they intended to go to Butuan on the island of "Vindanao" but were driven
instead by contrary winds to Bohol. It was only later that a small contingent of Spaniards, in a small
vessel, managed to go to Butuan. The point seem clear: As pilots of the Legazpi expedition
understood it, Mazaua was an island near Leyte and Panaon; Butuan was on the island of
Mindanao. The two were entirely different places and in no wise identical.
GEOGRAPHICAL MAP
NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION OF THE PHILIPPINES

• REPUBLIC ACT No. 2733 An Act to Declare

the Site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the
Province of Leyte, where the First Mass in the
NHCP Philippines was held as a National Shrine, to
Provide for the Preservation of Historical
Monuments and Landmarks Thereat, and for
Other Purposes
• On June 19, 1960, Republic Act No. 2733,
known as the LIMASAWA LAW was enacted
without executive approval.
• President Carlos P. Garcia did not sign the
law because he was not sure of the fact
that the 'Mazaua' in the Pigafetta Codex is
really Limasawa.
 NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMITTEE

FIRST MASS
NHCP CHURCH

SHRINE OF THE NATIONAL

HOLY CROSS HISTORCAL
LANDMARK
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2733 (JUNE 19, 1960)
H. No. 993 / 57 OG No. 3, 444 (January 16, 1961)
[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2733, June 19, 1960 ]
AN ACT TO DECLARE THE SITE IN MAGALLANES, LIMASAWA ISLAND IN THE PROVINCE OF
LEYTE, WHERE THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES WAS HELD AS A NATIONAL SHRINE, TO
PROVIDE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND LANDMARKS THEREAT,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. The site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the Province of Leyte, where the first Mass in the
Philippines was held is hereby declared a national shrine to commemorate the birth of Christianity in the
Philippines.
SEC. 2. All historical monuments and landmarks in said site shall be preserved and/or reconstructed whenever
necessary as much as possible in their original form and are hereby declared national historical monuments and
landmarks.
SEC. 3. The National Planning Commission shall exercise supervision and control over the reconstruction and/or
preservation of the aforesaid site and monuments, and shall issue rules and regulations to effectuate the preceding
sections of this Act.
SEC. 4. Necessary funds for the purposes of this Act shall be provided for in the annual appropriations for public
works and disbursements shall be made by the National Planning Commission under such rules and regulations as
the Auditor General may prescribe.
SEC 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
1. Enacted without Executive approval, June 19, 1960