IT HAS been said that the first Catholic mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521.

However,
there's an issue as to where it was celebrated. The start of Christianity in the Philippines is a controversy
because some historians are actually pushing for the recognition of Masau in Butuan city as the real site.
Yet, some had a conclusion that the First Holy Mass was celebrated in Limasawa (Southern Leyte).

"At dawn on Saturday, March 16, 1521, we came upon a highland at a distance of three hundred leagues
from the islands of Ladroni -- an island named [Samar]." The captain-general desired to land on another
uninhabited island which lay to the right of Samar. He had two tents set up on the shore for
thesickandhada sow killed for them. On Monday afternoon, March 18, we saw a boat coming toward us
with ninemen in it. When those men reached the shore, their chief gave signs of joy because of our
arrival.

Coconut is the fruit of the palm tree, and they get all their wine from that tree. They bore a hole into the
heart of the said palm at the top called palmito, from which distils a liquor which resembles white mist.
That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart, and [is gathered] in canes of bamboo as thick as the leg and
thicker. Coconut palms resemble date-palms, but although not smooth they are less knotty than the
latter. A family of 10 persons can be supported on two trees, by utilizing one of them for wine during
one week and the other for oil during the other 8 days. They last a century. Milk can also be made from
it, for we made some.

The captain-general took them to his ship and showed them all his merchandise-- cloves, cinnamon,
pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all the things in the ship. They made signs to us that the above
said articles grew in the place where we were going.

Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many things, their names and those of some of
the islands that could be seen from that place. Their own island was called Zuluan and it is not very
large. The captain-general took them to his ship and showed them all his merchandise-- cloves,
cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all the things in the ship. He had some mortars fired
for them, where they exhibited great fear, and tried to jump out of the vessel. They made signs to us
that the above said articles grew in the place where we were going. We found a great quantity of white
coral and large trees with fruit a trifle smaller than the almond and resembling pine seeds. There are
many islands in that district, and therefore we called them the archipelago of San Lazaro as they were
discovered on the Sunday of St. Lazarus They lie in 10 degrees of latitude toward the Arctic Pole, and in a
longitude of one hundred and sixty one degrees fpm the line of demarcation.

At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had promised in two boats with coconuts, sweet
oranges, a jar of palm-wine and a cock. They exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us. Their seignior
was an old man who was painted [tattooed]. He wore two gold earrings in his ears, and the others many
gold armlets on their arms and kerchiefs about their heads.
On the afternoon of holy Monday, the day of our Lady, March twenty-five, while we were on the point
of weighing anchor, I went to the side of the ship to fish. When I was all but under, my left hand
happened to catch hold of the garnet of the mainsail, which was dangling in the water. I held on tightly,
and began to cry out so lustily that I was rescued by the small boat. I was aided not, I believe, indeed,
through my merits but through the mercy of that font of charity [the Virgin]. That same day was
shaped our course towards the west southwest between four islands, namely Cenalo,
Hiunanghan, Ibusson, and Abarien.

On Thursday morning we saw a small boat with eight men approaching the flagship. A slave belonging to
the captaingeneral, who was a native of Zamatra [Sumatra], spoke to them. They immediately
understood him, camMe alongside the ship, unwilling to enter but taking a position at some little
distance. The captain, seeing that they would not trust us, threw them out a red cap and other things
tied to a bit of wood. When the king came near the flagship, the slave spoke to him, for in those districts
the kings knew more languages than other people. He ordered some of his men to enter the ships, but
he always remained in his balanghai, at some little distance from the ship until his own men returned.

The captain-general sent his slave ashore in asmallboat to ask the king if he had any food to have it
carried to the ships. Next day, holy Friday, the king came with six or eight men in the same boat and
entered the ship. The captain showed him cloth of various colors, linen, coral, and many other articles of
merchandise, and all the artillery, some of which he had discharged from him, whereat the natives were
greatly frightened.

The captain-general had a man armed as a soldier, and placed him in the midst of three men armed with
swords and daggers, who struck him on all parts of the body. He told the king through the slave that one
of those armed men was worth one hundred of his own men. The king answered that he had two
hundred men in each ship who were armed in that manner.

When I reached shore, the king raised his hands towards the sky and then turned towards us two. We
did the same toward him as did all the others. The king's men stood about us in a circle with swords,
daggers, spears, and bucklers. At every mouthful, we drank a cup of wine.

The king's cup was always kept covered and no one else drank from it but he and I. The wine that was
left [in the cup] at any time, although that happened but rarely, was put into a jar by itself. I ate meat on
holy Friday, for I could not help myself. Before the supper hour I gave the king many things which I
had brought.