MEMBERS:

Francis Luigi Adrian A. Vallecera

Christian Joy R. Reyes
Mark Louie Delfin Suganob

Instructions: Compare and Contrast the conflicting accounts on the site of the First Mass. Use this format
below. A minimum of 5 presented arguments and make a reflection based on the question given.
LIMASAWA BUTUAN

It was believed that the first mass in the Philippines had
happened in Limasawa. March 31, 1521, an Easter
Sunday marked the day of the first Eucharistic
celebration in the country and gave birth of Roman
Catholicism in the country. The mass was said to be
officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama. It was Magellan
who ordered to officiate a mass for celebration. The
mass was said to be conducted near the shore of the
island. Colambu and Siaiu were the first natives of the
archipelago, which was not yet named "Philippines"
It was also argued that the first mass in the Philippines
was held in Butuan. The mass was also described and
characterized the same as how the historians describe
the event that happened in Limasawa. The mass was
ordered by Magellan to celebrate the Easter Sunday
last March 31, 1521.The mass was held nearby the
shore. The person who officiated the mass was Father
Perdo Valderrama. A wooden cross was planted in the
same island which live a mark and evidence that the
first mass was held in the said place.
until the expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543,
to attend the mass among other native inhabitants. On
the same day a large wooden cross was planted on top
of the hill overlooking the see and could be seen by the
three islands from the west and southwest.
Despite of the controversy, historians still manage to
collect evidences to prove that the first ever mass was
held in Limasawa not in Butuan. Historian Pablo
Pastells stated by the footnote to Francisco Colin’s
labor Evangelica that Magellan haven’t set foot in
Butuan, instead he and his troop landed in Limasawa
before going to Cebu. In the account of Pigafetta, the
port named Mazua based on the study of Father
Bernard, it does not refer to Butuan instead it refers to
Limasawa. Pigafetta’s Mazua, based on his map was
an Island lying of the southwestern tip of Leyte while
Mazaua in Butuan is a barangay nearby the Agusan
River along the coast of Northern Mindanao. A high
Given the same descriptions, it is really hard to
determine the exact place where the first mass was
officiated. But this is always can be argued and can be
differed using the evidences found in each places. In
the year 1872, a monument was erected in Butuan
which marks that the first mass was held in the said
place. In 1953, the people who live in Butuan asked the
Historical Committee to rehabilitate the monument or
place a marker on the site. A new evidence was also
submitted to convince that the first mass took place in
Butuan. There are 10 Balahanghai boats that are
already 1,600 years old were accidentally dig up near
Masao River in 1976. They also recovered a shrine that
peak was found in Limasawa that fits the description of
the cross where it was erected. The peak was said to
be visible in the three island from the west and
southwest. Butuan’s location on the other hand doesn’t
give any evidence when it comes to the erection of the
cross. Given with this arguments, it is impossible for the
first mass to be held in Butuan.
On East Sunday in 1521, the first Catholic Mass was
held in Limasawa, Southern Leyte by Father Pedro de
Valderrama. It was specifically held on March 31 and
the Spanish priest was accompanied by a Portuguese
explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. On the same day,
Magellan ordered his men to put a large wooden cross
on top of the hill. It was said that there were two
chieftains who attended the said mass. They were the
rajah of Mazaua and the rajah of Butuan.
was built for the ancient boat. This Balahanghai boats
are believed to be used for trade and to transport
people for worship services. Aside from these
evidences, there are 28 more scientific evidences that
were recovered which proves that the first mass had
happened in Butuan. Moreover, the issue was still
argued and petitions are submitted about this
controversy.
An argument was also stated that the first mass was
not held at Limasawa but it was held at Butuan. It was
articulated that Magellan never set foot at Limasawa at
all. President Carlos P. Garcia did not signed the law,
R.A. No. 2733, because he wasn’t sure if Mazaua is
Limasawa in the Pigafetta Codex. According to
historian Gregorio Zaide, who once supported the
Limasawa claim, said that the first Christian mass was
celebrated at Masao, Butuan, Agusan del Norte and not
in Limasawa, Leyte on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521.
With regards of this argument, the first mass of
Limasawa has a lot of evidence and support to confirm
that the first ever mass was being held there and also
claimed by some historians. Pigafetta and Francisco
Albo were the eye-witnesses of Magellan’s voyage and
they both stated that the first mass took place on an
island called Mazaua. With them being eye-witnesses
gives a big impact of confirmation to where exactly the
mass was being held. They both stated that from the
island of Homonhon, they went westwards towards the
island of Leyte and turned southwest direction to reach
the island. Basing from this directions given by Albo
and Pigafetta, it was the island of Limasawa. It was
stated that Magellan didn’t went to Butuan to meet the
king. According to Pigafetta and Albo, during the mass,
the presence of the two chieftains, from Butuan and
Mazaua, was present and the chieftain of Butuan came
to visit the island. With Pigafetta and Albo being the first
eye-witnesses, affirms that what they had written in
Local executives, church officials, and historians
refilling of petition to National Historical Institute (NHI)
asserting that Butuan City, specifically Mazaua island is
the place where the first mass being held on Easter
Sunday in 1521. According to BCHFI, there are 10
recovery of Balanghai boat in 1976 near masao river.
Independent scholar Vicente C. De Jesus claimed that
some parts of Ambrosiana Codex, which the Limasawa
claim was founded, was largely mistranslated. There
also geographical mysteries that leads to miscalculated
claims. It was pointed that yale codex is more
impressive that the Ambrosiana Codex according to
Magellan’s scholar. It was also presented that some
archaeologists find some artifacts that would confirm
the isle as the port of Magellan. Examples of these are
age of contact ceramics, metal bracelets, disarticulated
human bones founded before the Spanish arrival,
corroded irons, and brass pestle yet to be dated. In
conclusion, because of the historians, some artifacts,
their journals authenticates the true events occurring.
The evidence from Pigafetta:
According to him the island that he calls Gada seems to
be the acquada of Pigafetta, namely the isaland of
Homonhon where they took supplies of wood and
water. The large island of Seilani which they coasted in
the island of Leyte. Coasting southwards along with
eastern coast of that island, then turning southwest
they came upon a small island named, Mazava. That
fits the location of a small island of Limasawa. It is to be
noted that Albo does not mention the first Mass, only
the planting of cross upon the mountain top from which
could be seen the three islands to the west and
southwest. This also fits the southern end of Limasawa.
It does not fit the the coast of Butuan from which no
and other visible evidences in Butuan which Limasawa
didn’t contain approves that the first mass took place in
Butuan.
Among the evidences used by the pro-Butuan group
were numerous accounts written by non-eyewitnesses’
decades after the 1521 Easter Sunday mass, as well as
the 1872 monument in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte.
All these accounts claimed the first mass was held in
Butuan. 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.
Local executives and Church officials as well as
historians here said they have new scientific evidence
to substantiate the re-filing of a petition before the
National Historical Institute (NHI) asserting that Butuan
islands could be seen to the southwest but only City particularly Mazzaua Island, now Barangay
towards the North. Pinamangculan was the official site of the first Mass on
Easter Sunday in 1521.

1. Why is it significant to establish the validity of the details of the First Mass in the Philippines?
It is very important to know the accuracy of the details in the first mass because it will shed light on
the present and even the next generation. It will also remove all the confusion over where the First
Mass was held in the Philippines. On March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered the
celebration of a Mass officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama, the Andalusian chaplain of the fleet, the
only priest then. Held near the coast of the island, the First Holy Mass marked the birth of Roman
Catholicism in the Philippines.