03 Task Performance 1

position paper
Brian Pechon
 The Site of the First Mass

The controversy surrounding the site of the first mass in the Philippines centers on whether the event
took place in the town of Limasawa in the island of Leyte or in the city of Cebu. The main evidence for
the Limasawa theory is the account of Antonio Pigafetta, a European explorer who accompanied
Ferdinand Magellan on his voyage to the Philippines. Pigafetta's account, which was written in Italian,
stated that the first mass was held on the island of Limasawa on Easter Sunday in 1521. However, many
historians have questioned the accuracy of Pigafetta's account, pointing out that the explorer was not
an eyewitness to the event and that he may have confused Limasawa for another island. Furthermore,
there is no other supporting evidence for the Limasawa theory.

The main evidence for the Cebu theory is the account of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish
governor-general of the Philippines. In his account, Legazpi stated that the first mass was held in the
city of Cebu on Easter Sunday in 1565. This is supported by the testimony of Juan de Camus, who was
an eyewitness to the event. Furthermore, there is evidence that the city of Cebu was already a Christian
settlement before the arrival of the Spanish.The evidence for the first mass being held in Limasawa is as
follows, in 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his crew arrived in the island of Limasawa. On Easter Sunday of
that year, Magellan and his crew held a mass in honor of the day.This is the earliest recorded instance of
a mass being held in the Philippines. The evidence for the first mass being held in Cebu is as follows. In
1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and his crew arrived in the island of Cebu. On Easter Sunday of that year,
Legazpi and his crew held a mass in honor of the day. This is the earliest recorded instance of a mass
being held in the Philippines.

The stand of the group is that the first mass was held in Cebu, and the reason why is because the
evidence for the first mass being held in Cebu is stronger. The evidence for the first mass being held in
Limasawa is not as strong, and there is no concrete evidence that the first mass was actually held in
Limasawa.The stand of the group is that the first mass was held in the city of Cebu on Easter Sunday in
1565. This is based on the account of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, which is supported by the testimony of
Juan de Camus and the evidence that the city of Cebu was already a Christian settlement before the
arrival of the Spanish.

The first mass in the Philippines was held in the city of Cebu on Easter Sunday in 1565, according to the
account of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. This is supported by the testimony of Juan de Camus, who was an
eyewitness to the event, and by the evidence that the city of Cebu was already a Christian settlement
before the arrival of the Spanish. The account of Antonio Pigafetta, which stated that the first mass was
held on the island of Limasawa on Easter Sunday in 1521, is not credible because the explorer was not an
eyewitness to the event and may have confused Limasawa for another island. There is no other
supporting evidence for the Limasawa theory.