Name: Wayyas, Lhavyang C.

Date: October 10, 2022

Course and year: BSRT-1A

As instructed earlier, outline the characteristics of the place where the first Catholic Mass was held. Include the
place names and pay special attention to the geographical and material context clues. Feel free to adjust the rows.

Use the references below to help you with your answer.

Table 1. Clues on the location of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines from the
Pigafetta and Albo accounts

Pigafetta’s account Albo’s account

Magellan and his men came upon a
highland called Zamal (Samar) on
Saturday, March 16, 1521.
Magellan and his men landed in Humunu
(Homonhon) island right of Zamal,
located at 10o North latitude. Magellan
also named th entire archipelago “Island
of Saint Lazarus” on the same day.
March 18-22, 1521, Magellan named the
Homonhon island as the “Watering Place
of Good Omen” (Acquada la di bouni
segnialli) and also met natives who
brought them food supplies.
March 16, 1521, Magellan and his men
saw the island of Yunagan but went
southwards and anchored off in Suluan
(9- and 2/3-degrees North latitude).
Then they sailed to an uninhabited island
of Gada where they took supply of food
and water.
Then they sailed west ward to an
inhabited island called Seilani.

Monday, March 25, 1521, Magellan and From Seailani, they sailed southwest to
his men sailed towards the southwest the small island of Masava (9- and 2/3-
between four islands, namely Cenalo degrees north latitude).
(island of Leyte), Hiunanghan (mainland
of Leyte), Ibusson (Island east of Leyte’s
southern tip), and Albarien then
continued westward to Mazaua.
Magellan and his men anchored off on There in the Island of Masava, the
Mazaua island on Thursday, March 28, Spaniards planted a cross upon a
1521. mountain top and was showed the 3
islands to the west and southwest where
March 31, 1521; on the early morning of there are gold.
Easter-day, Magellan, his 50 men without
body armor dressed I their best clothes
and the two kings attended the mass and
the body of Christ was elevated
accompanied with the sound of artillery
being fired.
 Table 2. Arguments in favor of Butuan as the Site of the First Philippine Mass
Now that you have also read the arguments of Fr. Amalia, outline the major points he made to uphold the
Butuan claim as the site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines. Write them on the table below. Again,
feel free to adjust the rows.
Primary Sources recorded was that the first Mass was held in a place called Mazaua.

The Butuan City Heritage Society, claims that Mazaua is a deltaic island at the mouth of the Agusan River
which is in Butuan in 1521.

Mazaua island from the early maps characterized by early cartographers like Giacomo Gastaldi, whose map was
published in 1554, and Giovanni Battista Ramusio, whose map appeared in 1563 that it was a part of Butuan
Islands.

Amalla also quoted that “only the Butuaonon and its derivative language, the Tausugs, has the word masawa
which means bright light”according to his interdisciplinary approach in his historical investigation.
He also stated that his claims were supported by the late Cardinal Sin who allowed whim to see the original copy
of the Anales Ecclesiasticos de Philipinas 1574-1683 where it was documented that the Easter Sunday Mass in
1521 was celebrated by the Chaplain of Magellan in Butuan.”
Fr. Amalla argued that when modern day historians tried to update historiographical record, they found
Limasawa which is close to the word masaua since the pertaining island cannot be found near Butuan. But then,
unlike Butuan where he claimed to be the place of the first Christian settlement, Limasawa was hardly
inaccessible until 1994.

While the law, and lately, the NHCP recognize the island of Limasawa as the real location of the First Mass in the
Philippines, the people of Butuan are still holding on to their claim. Now, examine table 1 and table 2 (from your answer
above) and reflect on which place really has an assertion of the title.

The question now for you to answer is this, if the debate will be resolved, what would be the significance/value to either
of these places to finally be declared as the True site of the First Catholic Mass? Write one answer to each of the
following:

A. Symbolic value of carrying the title “The Site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines”
Holding this title marks the era of where the first Catholic Mass happened until it was spread to the
different parts of the archipelago and its influence to the first native who were converted to Catholics and
to those current members of the Catholics.
 B. Practical value of carrying the title “The Site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines”
Carrying the title of the “Site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines means that funds would be
given for the preservation of the site and another tourist site would be included in that particular place,
this would also mean that the number of tourists would increase if it would be open to the public which
actually increases the economy income of that place.

References:
Bernad, Miguel A. Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Re- examination of the
Evidence. Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture, [S.l.], v. 5, n. 3 6.1, p. 133-166, jan. 2013. ISSN 2243-7886.
Available at: https://journals.ateneo.edu/ojs/index.php/budhi/article/view/582/579>. Date accessed: 09 Jun. 2020.

Pigafetta, A. & Maximilianus,T. (1969). First Voyage Around the World and De Moluccis Insulis. Manila:
Filipiniana Book Guild (pp. 23-32)
R.A. 2733 Downloaded from:
https://www.chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno2733.html#.XuCZLNQzbMw
Extracts from: A Derrotero or Log-book of the Voyage of Fernando de Magallanes in Search of the Strait,
From the Cape of St. Augustin. Francisco Albo, 1519.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_First_Voyage_Round_the_World/Log-
Book_of_Francisco_Alvo_or_Alvaro

Official Position of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on the Site of the 1521 Easter
Sunday Mass". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. August 19, 2020.
Mojares, Resil B.; Gerona, Danilo M.; Navarro, Francis M.; Álvarez-Piñer, Carlos Madrid; De Castro,
Antonio Francisco B.; Torres, Jose Victor Z. (January 9, 2020). The Final Report of the Mojares Panel on
the Butuan-Limasawa Controversy on the Location of the 1521 First Easter Sunday Mass in the Philippines.
Available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1287Hgn99grWCdH2MaL2defFx6Ssq7QUH/view