“One past but many

histories”:
Controversies &
Conflicting Views in
the Philippine
History

Arevalo, Allen
Billones, Marvin
Hoggang, Beverly
Jemina, Alyzza
Mole, Catherine
BS ACCTG 1-2
The First Mass in the Philippines
One of the controversies still unresolved up to this day is the site of the first
mass. Conflicting views regarding the location still arise since there were new evidences
gathered from researches. The main controversy to this is that where the first mass in
our country did really took place?
The primary source regarding this controversy was Antonio Pigafetta who had a
diary entitled, “Chronicler of Magellan’s Voyage.” In this diary, Pigafetta stated that the
first mass was held on an Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521 on an island called “Mazaua.”
The mass was led by Fr. Pedro de Valderama and was attended by magellan and two
of the chieftains: the Rajah of Siaiu and the Rajah of Colambu, ruler of butuan. This
mass gave birth to the Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. The subject of controversy
is the identity of the place that Pigafetta pertains to as “Mazaua.” Due to this, two
conflicting views from school of thoughts arise since there was no definite location. This
led to the controversy between Limasawa in Leyte and Masao in Butuan. One school of
thought stated that Mazaua was a little island on Southern Leyte based on the map
which is Limasawa. On the other hand, another school of thought stated that it was a
beach called “Masao” that is located at the mouth of Agusan River in Northern
Mindanao which is presently called “Butuan.”

Evidences to this claims:

LIMASAWA
Republic Act no. 2733 declares that the site in Magallanes, Limasawa island,
Leyte as the national shrine to commemorate the first mass in the Philippines. Their
basis for this is that Robertson translated Pigafetta’s manuscript. In the translation, it
was stated that the place “Mazaua” in his diary was now called island of Limasawa as
well as the position plotted by him matches the island. There were claimants of different
sides of the controversy. Jaime de Veyra, a journalist claimed that Limasawa is the
place where the first mass in the Philippines was celebrated. Pablo Pastells added that
based on Francisco Collin’s “Labor Evangelica,” Magellan did not go to Butuan and
James Robertson agreed to him. There are also supporting evidences to their claims:
Francisco Albo’s log book, Pigafetta’s route, map, the two native kings, the seven days
at “Mazaua” and the Legazpi expedition. Francisco Albo was one of the pilots of
Magellan expedition in his flagship “Trinidad.” His log book was about his voyage
around the world. The two native kings was from Mazaua and “Butuan” which gives the
denotion that Mazaua and Butuan are not the same. Below is the map which shows the
route of Magellan expedition in the Philippines.
BUTUAN
Evidences to this includes the name of the place itself, Masao which is somehow
similar. The geographical features of the place wherein researchers found balanghai
boats that was believed to be used for trade to transport people for worship services
and that there were shrines built for ancient boats, the bonfire, the house, the
abundance of gold and the developed settlement. The route from Homonhon in Eastern
Samar where Magellan first landed and the latitudinal position of the place. On the other
hand, there were also believers that Mazaua is Butuan. Sonia Zaide claimed that Masao
is in Butuan based on the diary of Antonia Pigafetta, “Chronicle of Magellan’s Voyage.”
In support of this, there was a monument that was erected in Butuan in 1872 to
commemorate the first mass held in the Philippines. There were also Fr. Joesilo Amalla,
the curator of Butuan Diocesan Liturgical Museum said that in Pigafetta’s diary, “they
planted a cross on highest hill, stayed in the area for 7 days helped in rice harvest for 2
days that needs hundreds of people to help”, meaning, it was a large agricultural area
but Amalla said that there was nothing to harvest in Limasawa stating that their claim
was wrong.
 Two parties claims ownership as the site of the first mass, above this, they give
importance for the real place where it was held since it was very historical because the
first mass gave birth to the Catholicism in the Philippines.