Historical controversies

Masao
Some Filipino historians have long contested the idea that Limasawa was the site of the first Catholic
mass in the country.[15] Historian Sonia Zaide identified Masao (also Mazaua) in Butuan as the
location of the first Christian mass.[9] The basis of Zaide's claim is the diary of Antonio Pigafetta,
chronicler of Magellan's voyage. In 1995 then Congresswoman Ching Plaza of Agusan del Norte-
Butuan City filed a bill in Congress contesting the Limasawa hypothesis and asserting the "site of the
first mass" was Butuan.[16] The Philippine Congress referred the matter to the National Historical
Institute for it to study the issue and recommend a historical finding. Then NHI chair Dr. Samuel K.
Tan reaffirmed Limasawa as the site of the first mass.[17]

First Mass in the Philippines

The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday. It was
said by Father Pedro de Valderrama along the shores of what was referred to in the journals of
Antonio Pigafetta as "Mazaua".
Today, this site is widely believed by many to be Limasawa at the tip of Southern Leyte,[1] though this
is contested by some who assert that the first mass was instead held at Masao, Butuan

Landing on Philippine shores

When Ferdinand Magellan and his European crew sailed from San Lucar de Barrameda for a
expedition to search for spices, these explorers landed on the Philippines after their voyage from
other proximate areas. On March 28, 1521, while at sea, they saw a bonfire which turned out to be
Mazaua (believed to be today's Limasawa) where they anchored.[3]

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 Ladrones or known as Mariana Island at
the present, they saw land towards the northwest but they didn't landed there due to shallow places
and later found its name as Yunagan. On that same day, they went in a small island
called Suluan which is a part of Samar and there they anchored. Leaving from those two islands,
they sailed westward to an island of Gada where they took in a supply of wood and water from that
island, they sailed towards west to a large island called Seilani (now Leyte). Along the coast of
Seilani, they sailed southwards and turned southwest until they reached the island of Mazava. From
there, they sailed northwards again towards the Island of Seilani and followed the coast of Seilani
towards northwest and saw three small islands. They sailed westwards and saw three islets where
they anchored for the night. In the morning, they sailed southwest. There, they entered canal
between two island, one of which was called Subu (now called Cebu) and the other was Matan (now
called Mactan). They sailed towards southwest on that canal then turned westward and anchored at
the town of Subu wherein they stayed there for many days.[4]
The Account of Antonio Pigafetta: Route of Magellan’s Expedition
in the Island of St. Lazarus
Antonio Pigafetta was a famous Italian traveller who studied navigation and known by the name of
Antonio Lambardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta. He joined the Portuguese, Captain Ferdinand
Magellan and his Spanish crew on their trip to Maluku Island.[5] Pigafetta has the most complete
account of Magellan expedition entitled Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage around the
world). He was one of the eighteen survivors who returned to Spain aboard the "Victoria" and
therefore considered as an eyewitness of the significant events happened on the first mass of which
Magellan names it the Islands of Saint Lazarus that is later called the Philippine Archipelago.
Pigafetta narrated on his account the events happened from March 16, 1521 when they first saw the
Island of the Philippine group up to April 7, 1521 when the expedition landed on Cebu. On March 16,
1521, there was a "high land" named "Zamal" that was sighted by the Magellan's expedition which
was some 300 leagues westward of the Ladrones Island. On March 17, 1521, they landed on
"uninhabited island" or known as "Humunu" (Homonhon) which Pigafetta referred to as "Watering
place of good signs" because the place is abundant in gold. Humunu lays right of Zamal at 10
degrees north latitude. They stayed there 8 days from March 17 to March 25, 1521. On March 25,
1521, they left the island of Homonhon and change route towards west southwest, between four
islands: namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson, and Albarien. Afterwards, they sail westward
towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southward passing between the island of Ibusson on
their port side and Hiunangan bay on their starboard, and then continued southward, the returning
westward to Mazaua. On March 28, 1521, there is an island lies on a latitude of 9 and 2/3 towards
the arctic pole and in a longitude 100 and 62 degrees from the line of demarcation. It is named as
Mazaua which is 25 leagues from the Acquada. On April 4, 1521, they left Mazaua bound for Cebu
and guided by their King who sailed on his own boat. All throughout their route, it took them past five
island namely: Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatighan. They sailed from Mazaua west by
northwest into the Canigao channel, with Bohol island to port and Leyte and Canigao islands to
starboard. Then they continue sailing northwards along the Leyte coast, past Baibai to Gatighan (it
was 20 leagues from Mazaua and 15 leagues from Subu or Cebu. At Gatighan, they sailed
westward to the three island of the Camotes group namely: Poro, Pasihan, and Ponson. From the
Camotes Island they sailed southwestward towards "Zubu". On April 7 they entered the harbor of
"Zubu" (Cebu). It takes them three days to negotiate the journey from Mazaua northwards to
the Camotes Islands and then southwards to Cebu. That was the route of Magellan expedition as
stated in the account of Pigafetta. In that route, the southernmost point reached before getting to
Cebu was Mazaua, located at nine and two-thirds degrees North latitude.[4]

Blood compact
The island's sovereign ruler was Rajah Kolambu. When Magellan and comrades set foot on the
grounds of Mazaua, he befriended the Rajah together with his brother Rajah Siagu of Butuan. In
those days, it was customary among the indigenous—and in most of southeast Asia—to seal
friendship with a blood compact. On instigation of Magellan who had heard the Malayan term for
it, casi casi, the new friends performed the ritual. This was the first recorded blood compact
between Filipinos and Spaniards. Gifts were exchanged by the two parties when the celebration had
ended.

First Mass
On March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered a Mass to be celebrated which was
officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama, the Andalusion chaplain of the fleet, the only priest then.
Conducted near the shores of the island, the First Holy Mass marked the birth of Roman
Catholicism in the Philippines. Colambu and Siaiu were the first natives of the archipelago, which
was not yet named "Philippines" until the expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543, to attend
the Mass among other native inhabitants.

Planting of the cross

In the afternoon of the same day, Magellan instructed his comrades to plant a large wooden cross
on the top of the hill overlooking the sea.[9] Magellan's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, who recorded
the event said:
"After the cross was erected in position, each of us repeated a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria, and
adored the cross; and the kings [Colambu and Siaiu] did the same."
Magellan then took ownership of the islands where he had landed in the name of King Charles
V which he had named earlier on March 16 Archipelago of Saint Lazarus because it was the day of
the saint when the Armada reached the archipelago.[6][8]
In the Account of Francisco Albo, he did not mention about the first mass in the Philippines but only
the planting of the cross upon a mountain top from which could be seen three islands to the west
and southwest, where they were told there was much gold. This also fits the southern end
of Limasawa. It does not suits the coast of Butuan from which no islands could be seen to the south
or the southwest, but only towards the north.

Proclamation of the national shrine

On June 19, 1960, Republic Act No. 2733, called the Limasawa Law, was enacted without
Executive approval on June 19, 1960.[11] The legislative fiat declared 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.[12] Magallanes
is east of the island of Limasawa. In 1984 Imelda Marcos had a multi-million pesos Shrine of the
First Holy Mass built, an edifice made of steel, bricks and polished concrete, and erected on top of a
hill overlooking barangay Magallanes, Limasawa. A super typhoon completely wiped this out just a
few months later. Another shrine was inaugurated in 2005.
Limasawa celebrates the historic and religious coming of the Spaniards every March 31 with a
cultural presentation and anniversary program dubbed as Sinugdan, meaning "beginning.". Yet this
has no reference at all to a Catholic mass being held on March 31, 1521.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2733

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 PHILIPPINES WAS
HELD AS A NATIONAL SHRINE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL
MONUMENTS AND LANDMARKS THEREAT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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.

Enacted without Executive approval, June 19, 1960.

Republic Act No. 11373

Signed on August 22, 2019

Republic of the Philippines

Congress of the Philippines
Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress

Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand
eighteen.

[REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11373]

AN ACT DECLARING MARCH 31 OF EVERY YEAR A SPECIAL WORKING

HOLIDAY IN THE WHOLE PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE, IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE FIRST MASS HELD IN LIMASAWA ISLAND,
PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE, TO BE KNOWN AS THE “FIRST MASS DAY”
Uploaded on: August 29, 201

Barangay Triana: The Right Site of the First Mass in Limasawa in 1521

Rolando O. Borrinaga

Discipline: History

Abstract:

In 1998, the National Historical Institute (NHI) officially settled the long-standing controversy over the
site of the recorded First Mass in the Philippines on 31 March 1521 between Limasawa, Southern Leyte,
and Masao, Butuan City in Mindanao. The NHI decided in favor of Limasawa.