Loraine A.

Tubig

BSHM1 A

Readings in Philippine History

Activity: Read the following researches that studied and resolved the controversy of the location of the
First Mass. After, please answer the following:

1. What were the claims and evidences of the Pro-Butuan proponents who believed that the First Mass
happened in Masao? Explain how did the scholars counter-responded on such claims using the matrix
below:

Pro-Butuan Claims Scholars’ Counter Response

BUTUAN CITY — The event that marked the
birth of Christianity in the Philippines 485 years
ago is still under dispute, with this city renewing
its claim that the historic first Mass celebrated by
Spanish colonizers was held here and not in
Limasawa, Leyte.
The NHCP adopted the recommendation of a
panel of experts reaffirming earlier findings that
the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass was celebrated in
Limasawa and not in Butuan, as claimed by some
historians.

Local executives and church officials as well as
historians refilling of petition to National
Historical Institute (NHI) asserting that Butuan
City, particularly Mazzaua Island (Barangay
Pinamangculan) was the official site of the first
mass on eastersunday in 1521.
The panel reassessed the studies and literature on
the matter, gathered the extant copies of Antonio
Pigafetta’s chronicles and other accounts abroad,
surveyed the presumed sites of the event in
Butuan and Limasawa, consulted experts in
geology and cartography, and submitted its report
for review by the history departments of various
Philippine universities.

A law was passed by Congress on June 19, 1960, With the mandate to “actively engage in the
or Republic Act No. 2733, declared the site of settlement or resolution of controversies or
 Magallanes on Limawasa Island as the national
shrine to commemorate the first Mass ever held in
the country that gave birth to Christianity in this
now predominantly Catholic Nation.
Historian Gregorio Zaide, who originally
supported the Limawasa claim, also claimed that
“It is high time for contemporary historians and
the Philippine government to correct their mistake
and accept that the first Christian mass was
celebrated in Masao, Butuan, Aguansan del Norte
and not in Limawasa, Leyte, on Easter Sunday,
March 31, 1521.
According to BCHFI there are 28 gathered new
pieces of scientific evidence and comparison
between the Two Island (Mazzaua and Imawasa)
10 recovery of Balanghai boat in 1976 near masao
river.
2. According to the NHCP Report, why did they rejected the claim that the accounts of Pigafetta was
tampered to intentionally conceal the new-found route?
issues relative to historical personages, places,
dates and events,” based on Republic Act No.
10086 or Strengthening People’s Nationalism
Act of 2009, NHCP chair Dr. Rene Escalante
decided to reopen the historical problem in the
interest of fairness and to further enrich
historical literature.
“The log appeared for the first time in the
collection of documents published by Martin
Fernandez de Navarette in 1837. Upon the
study of these two sources, two Philippine
scholars— Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and Fr.
Pablo Pastelles, SJ — concluded that it was a
historical error that Butuan was deemed the site
of the First Easter Sunday Mass,” it said.
Accordi
ng to NHCP, the issue as to the exact location
of the said mass was first resolved by its
forerunner, the National Historical Institute
(NHI), through two panels of experts: the first
headed by former Supreme Court Justice
Emilio Gancayco in 1995 and the second by
historian Dr. Benito J. Legarda in 2008. “Both
panels ruled that the site of the 1521 Easter
Sunday Mass was Limasawa island, now a
municipality in Southern Leyte,” it said.
 -The issue as to exact location of the said mass resolved by the forerunner of the NHCP, the
National Historic Institute (NHI), through those panels of experts. Both panels ruled that the site of the
1521 Easter Sunday Mass was in Limawasa Island, now a municipality in Southern Leyte.

3. How did the Legazpi expedition helped in the strengthening the claims that the First Mass was in
Limasawa?

-There is confirmatory evidence from the documents of the Legazpi expedition, which sailed into
Philippine waters in 1565, forty-four years after Magellan.

4. How did the ‘Butuan Tradition’ as the site of the first mass started?

-The Butuan claim rests upon a tradition that was almost unanimous and unbroken for three
centuries, namely the 17th, the 18th and the 19th. On the strength of that tradition and embodying it, a
monument was erectewd in 1872 near the mouth of the Agusan River at a spot that was then within the
municipal boundaries of Butuan, but which today belongs to separate municipality of Magallanes, named
after Ferdinand Magellan.

5. How did the Geograhic features of the places involved in the controversies helped in the ascertaining
the possible site of the first mass?

-Geographic features is extremely useful in helping to identify and to establish the relative
positions (and even the relative size) of those islands. It is unfortunate that in the controversy that has
been arisen between the supporters of Butuan and those of Limawasa, this question of geography has
been given little notice.
 THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILLIPINES: LIMAWASA OR BUTUAN?

The 500th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan's introduction of the First Mass in the Philippines
is coming up on March 31, 2021, and it is relevant especially to the place where it was held. Apart from
that, there is debate about whether the island Mazzaua, which Anotonio Pigafetta identified in his book as
the location of their landing and First Mass, is in Limasawa or Butuan. There are two competing theories
as to where the First Mass was actually held: one is in Limasawa, a small island off the coast of Leyte,
and the other is in Butuan, specifically Masao Beach, near the kingdom of Butuan at the time. There are
several sources to consider when evaluating the site of the first mass, but two of them stand out for me:
Francisco Albo's and Antonio Pigafetta's reports. The question now is, where could the First Mass take
place? Is it possible that it was held at Limasawa, which the Philippine government acknowledges? Or
could it be at Butuan or Masao, where various academics and experts claim the First Mass took place?

Limasawa, a small island near the coast of Leyte, has been identified as the site of the First Mass
by the National Historical Institute (NHI) and the Philippine government. The designation of Limasawa
as the place of the first mass has been filled with controversy. However, there is strong proof that the NHI
took into account, namely Pigafetta and Albo's narrative. Pigafetta, a member of the expedition and an
eyewitness to the First Mass, provided the most detailed description of Magellan's trip. He was also one
of the 18 survivors who successfully returned to Spain. He had no backing from the King of Spain in
publishing his story, so he proceeded to Italy and failed again. However, in 1525, a Frenched translation
emerged, and another Italian translation from that French version also appeared. The logbook of
Francisco Albo, a pilot on Magellan's flagship Trinidad, is another important record of the Magellan
expedition. Along with Antonio Pigafetta, he was one of the 18 survivors, and he kept a daily log book
while on the mission. Albo and Pigafetta's accounts are similar in many ways, while other elements differ
solely in terms of descriptions or names. Each of the latter's reports corroborated the allegation that
Mazzaua was, in fact, the little island of Limasawa, and that there was no time in their trip where they
arrived at Butuan. The National Historical Institute and the Philippine government acknowledge these
allegations and agreed that Magellan's First Mass was held in Limasawa.

Butuan, or the Masao beach in Butuan, is said to be the site of the first mass. Butuan has a long-
standing history that began in the 17th century with the building of a monument at the mouth of the
Agusan River, which was then within Butuan's authority and is today under the municipality of
Magallanes named after Ferdinand Magellan. Two Jesuit historians, Father Francisco Colin S.J. and
Father Francisco Combes, embraced the Butuan tradition. Butuan was the place of the First Mass,
according to both of them. When they got in Homonhon, Father Colin restated Pigafetta's account, but he
didn't mention Mazzaua or Limasawa after that, instead mentioning Butuan, where the First Mass was
held. Magellan and his troops did indeed land on Limasawa, but Father Combes did not mention that they
did not have the mass there; instead, after a good saty at Limasawa, they heard about the river of Butuan,
whose chief was a barbarian, and Magellan chose to plant a cross and hold a serious ceremony there.
Father Combes referred to the first mass as a solemn ceremonial rather than a mass. A further remarkable
account was that of Vicente De Jesus, who supported the claims in Butuan by mentioning many writers
and mentioning false interpretations in Pigafetta and Albo's accounts in giving the exact estimate of the
coordinates of Limasawa, he mentioned that the coordinates given by both authors was nowhere to be
found near Limasawa and Butuan, he claims that the place 9º 40' N was a missing port that is a part of
Butuan, he claims that the He also stated that the word Mazzaua was derived from the Butuanon dialect,
implying that Mazzaua was a part of Butuan because it was named in Butuanon. Could these statements
be acceptable to back up Butuanons' claim that the First Mass was held in Butuan?

After reading several stories of the expedition and studies on the latter, I strongly believe that the
place of the First Mass was in Limasawa, to the best of my knowledge and throughout my researches. The
first point I want to consider is the fire that Pigafetta claimed they saw the night before they sailed
towards Butuan; however, after looking at the map on Google Earth and considering Magellan's position
in the southernmost tip of Panaon Island, there is no way they could have seen a fire from that point to
Butuan because it was too far away. Another factor to consider is that both of the kings were not
permanent residents on the island due to a lack of resources, and they only visited when they wanted to go
hunting. Pigafetta only lists Butuan as one of the kingdoms of one of the kings that assisted him. They
also did not sail or anchor in Butuan, Mindanao, because Portuguese navigators think that they should not
anchor on a large island, especially when they are unfamiliar with the area, and because Butuan is
connected to Mindanao, a very large island. Finally, Butuan, or even Mazau, is not an island because it is
a delta that is connected to Butuan's mainland.