The Truth Behind the Site Of The First

Mass in The Philippines

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA
 He studied astronomy , geography and cartography
 An Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice
 He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on their First
Voyage around the world
 He was one of the 18 men who returned to Spain in 1522

FRANCISCO ALBO
 He joined the Magellan expedition pilot
 He was one of the 18 survivors who returned
 Albo began keeping his own diary or log-book on the voyage

o The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held March 31, 1521 (Eastern Sunday)
o Father Pedro de Valderrama
o A popularly known as the birthplace of the Church in the Philippines
o Holy First Mass marked the birth of Roman Catholic in the Philippines

CONTROVERSIES BETWEEN LIWASAWA AND BUTUAN

 BUTUAN as the site of the first mass in Philippines
 Butuan claim rest upon a tradition that was almost unanimous and unbroken for three
centuries, namely the 17th, the 18th, and the 19th.
 The monument was erected in 1872 near the mouth of the Agusan River at a spot that
was then within the municipal boundaries of butuan.
 The monument was brick pillar on which was a marble slab that contained an inscription.
 The monument was brick pillar on which was a marble slab that contained an inscription
which might be translated as follows:
 To the Immoral Magellan: The People of Butuan with their Parish Priest and the
Spaniards resident therein, to commemorate his arrival and the celebration of the First
Mass on this site in the 8th of April 1521. Erected in 1872, under the District Governor
Jose Ma. Carvallo.
BUTUAN as the site of the first mass in Philippines
 According to Dr. Sonia M. Zaide Masao rather than Limasawa is the the site of first
recorded mass in the Philippines.
 First in all primary sources including the diary of Antonio Pigafetta, the name of the
place is “Mazaua”. Limasawa has four (4) syllables and begins with another letter.
 Second, according to all primary records, the expedition travelled to 20-25 leagues from
Homonhon. If they had been to Limasawa island, the distance only is 14.6 leagues.
 Third, the distance to Cebu from Mazaua according to Pigafetta was 35 leagues (140
miles). The distance from limasawa to Cebu is only 80 miles.
 Fourth, it was mentioned that the king came to their ship in “balangai”. Butuan is now the
site of atleast nine excavated balangai relics. By contrast Limasawa has no significant
archeological relics or balangai tradition.
 Fifth, the western explorers got excited at the abundance of gold in Mazaua, for that main
currency at that time. Both archeological relics and gold mines today attested to the
abundance of gold in the Agusan Valley.

LIMASAWA as the site of the first mass in Philippines

THE EVIDENCES FOR LIMASAWA
1. The evidence of Albo’s Log-book
2. The evidence of Figafetta
A. Figafetta’s testimony regarding the route
B. The evidence of Figfetta’s map
C. The two native kings
D. The seven days at Mazaua
E. An argument from omission
3. Confirmatory evidence from Legazpi Expeidition

PIGAFETTA’S TESTIMONY REGARDING THE ROUTE

March 16 1521 – they sighted a “high land” named Zamal now the Marianas island

March 17 1521 – they landed on another island which was uninhabited named “Humumu” now
is Homonhon. On the same day they named the entire archipelago as the “Island of Saint
Lazarus”, and they stayed at Homonhon for eight (8) days.
March 25 1521 – They left the island of Homonhon and an accident happened to Pigafetta; he
fell into the water but was rescued. After the Homonhon their route is toward the “west
southwest” between the four island named (Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien)

March 28 1521 – Holy Thursday, they anchored off an island where that island “lies in a latitude
of nine and two thirds toward the North” and it is 25 leagues from Acquada and is called
“Mazaua” and they remained seven (7) days in Mazaua.

April 4 1521 – They left Mazaua with the guide by the King Of Mazaua. Their route took them
in five (5) island (Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai and Gatighan).

April 7 1521 – They entered the harbor of “Zubu” now is Cebu

THE EVIDENCE OF PIGAFETTA’S MAP

1st MAP (Blair and Robertson, Vol 33)

 Shows the Irge island of Samar

 The smaller islands of Suluan, Abarien, Hiunangan, and “Humunu”( Homonhon), which
is also describe as “ Aguada ly boni segnaly.”

2nd MAP (BR 33)

 It is already a double map

 One map shows the island of Mindanao
 It shows on the northern shore a deep indentation which is recognizably Panguil Bay.
 The other map shows the southern tip of Zamboanga, the island of Basilan and Sulu
archipelago

3rd MAP (BR 33)

 It is the most pertinent, because it shows the island of Mazaua, in relation to the “islands”
of “Ceilon” and “ Baiban” and to those of Bohol, Gatighan and the three islands of
Camotes Group.

THE TWO KING

 There is confirmatory evidence in the presence of two native “Kings “ or rajahs at
Mazaua during the Magellan visit.
 One was the “King” of Mazaua who later guide the Magellan expedition to Cebu.
  The other one was a relative, namely the king or rajah of Butuan.

SEVEN DAYS AT MAZAUA

 According to both Pigafetta and Albo was situated at a latitude of nine and two-thirds
degrees North
 The Magellan expedition stayed a week
 WHAT DID THEY DO DURING THOSE SEVEN DAYS?

Thursday, 28 March – in the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen light
the night before. A small boat came with eight natives to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as
presents. In the afternoon of that day, the Spanish ship weighed anchor and came closer to shore,
anchoring near the native kings village. Thursday, 28 March, was holy week.

Friday,29 March – “It is 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 friend and not enimies.

Saturday, 30 March – Pigafetta and his companion had sent 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. The following morning Pigafetta and his companion took leave of
their hosts and returned to he ship.

Sunday, 31 March – Early morning t Magellan sent the priest ashore with some men to prepare
for the mass. On the afternoon, while 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 that were
available in that island. But later that evening the king of Mazaua changed his mind and said
that he would himself conduct Magellan to Zubu but that he would first have to bring the
harvest in.

Monday, 1 April – Magellan sent his 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.

Tuesday, 2 April and Wednesday, 3 April - work on the harvest during the “ next two days”.

Thursday, 4 April – They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.

ARGUMENT FROM OMISSION

 If Mazaua were Butuan, or in the vicinity of Butuan, there is a curios omission in
Pigafetta's account.
  Butuan is a revirine settlement. It is situated on the Agusan River. The beach called
Masao is in the delta of that river.
 If the Magellan expedition were at that delta, and if the Mass were celebrated there, why
is there no mention of river?

COMFORMATORY EVIDENCE FROM LEGAZPI EXPIDITION

 After Magellan's death and after the Cebu debacle, the survivors of his expedition went to
Mindanao and it seems actually went to Butuan. Pigafetta describes quite vividly a trip up
to see the queen. But that was after Magellan's death.
 Forty years later member of Legaspi's expedition visited Butuan and the river anchorage
forms a very important part of their account.

MAXIMILLIAN OF TRANSYLVNIA
 He also known as Transylvanus. His letter De Moluccis Insulis was the first published
account of Magellan Expedition. It was print at Cologne in January 1523, only two
years after Magellan's disvovery of the Philippine Islands.
 Maximillian got his data from the survivors who had returned on the "Victoria". His
account is therefore important, but it is a second hand account. He says
 " Our men having taken in water in Acaca, sailed towards Selani; here a storm took
them, so that they could not bring the ships to that island, but were driven to another
island called "Massaua", where live a king of three island, after that they arrived at
Subuth.
 Maximillian locates the First Mass on Easter Sunday 1521 at Cebu, which he spells
Subuth.

Reference :

Martinez M. et, al (2018). The Readings in Philippine History

Maria Christine H. (2013). Philippine History

GROUP 1

Alyssa May A. Aballe

Ken Harold U. Silang

Mary Yari O. Roces