3. Homonhon Island, Eastern Samar.

After they landed in Guam and called Las Islas de

Ios Ladrones (the theft island), Magellan's troops had a terrible experience staying
there. Some people in Homonhon Island and Samar claimed, shortly after the arrival of
Magellan and his
companions on the island, they had a mass in the Isle to thank God for
their safe journey from Guam and the vast Pacific Ocean. According to the groups that
were supporting the' first mass' in Homonhon:

"Pigafetta did not exactly say that it was their first mass, he only reported that a mass
was celebrated on Easter Sunday [in Mazza Island]. Atty. Mendiola concludes that on
the island of Homonhon on 19th of March 1521 the first mass celebrated was held in the
Philippines not one on the 31st of that month, Limasawa or Mazaua. In the modern
historiography, any passage or statement to the contrary in our history books would be
unsustainable. üHowever, thefact remains that Magellanfirst landed in Homonhon,
despite these discussions, when thefirst mass tookplace. And today, we are
commemorating and celebrating that event. The historian Agoncillo writes that the
Europeans learned of the existence of the Philippines for the first time during this trip. It
also proved that the earth was round, that the Pacific Ocean had been vast, that East
India was reachable by the Pacific and that America was one entirely separate land
mass of Asia. It showed that America was a land mass."

"While Magellan discovered the existence of the Philippines, for me, the greater
significance of Magellan& arrival in Homonhon, was it showed the world, that we in
Samar, already had a society, a culture of our own. Pigafetta wrote that 'their seignior
was an old man who was painted. He wore two gold earrings in his ears and the others
many gold armlets on their arms and handkerchiefs about their heads. They have black
hair that falls to the waist and uses daggers, knives, and spears ornamented with gold,
large shields, fascines, javelins and fishing nets that resemble rizali and their boats are
like ours."
"Later on, Jesuit missionaries who came and settled our island would document this
culture. Our society then was structured according to social classes which dictated not
only the behavior of men and women but also the manner of dressingfrom head to toe,
from cradle to their graves."

Source: Cabardo, Charo (2004). Homonhon, 482 Years Later. Gu ma Han Samar -
Cyberspace Movement.