HISTORY

REPORTERS G6
CASE STUDY 1:
Where Did the First Catholic Mass Take Place
in the Philippines?
It must also be pointed out that later on, after
Magellan's death , the survivors of his
expedition went to Mindanao , and seemingly
went to Butuan. In this instance, Pigafetta
vividly describes a trip in a river . But note that
this account already happened after Magellan's
death.
Butuan has long been believed as the site of the
first mass. In fact, this has been the case for
three centuries, culminating in the erection of a
monument in 1872 near Agusan River, which
commemorates the expedition's arrival and
celebration of mass on April 8, 1521.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the
start of the twentieth century, together with the
increasing scholarship on the history of the
Philippines, a more nuanced reading of the available
evidence was made, which brought to light more
considerations in going against the more accepted
interpretation of the first mass in the Philippines,
made both by Spanish and Filipino scholars.
 It must be noted that there are only two primary
sources that historians refer to inidentifying the
site of the first Mass.
1. One is the log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot one of Magellan’s
ship, Trinidad. He was one of the survivors who returned with
Sebastian Elcano onthe ship Victoria after they circumnavigated
the world.
2. The other, and the more complete, wasthe account by Antonio
Pigafetta, Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage Around
theWorld). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a member of the Magellan
expedition and an eyewitness of theevents, particularly, of the
first Mass.
 Francisco Albo
He was Magellan's pilot. One of the 18 survivors who returned
with Sebastian Elcano on the ship victoria after circumnavigating
the world.
He has kept a log of the events that has occured as their group
traveled into different places in the Philippines and around the
Globe.
According to Albo, they went to an island named "MASAUA" or
"LIMAWASA".
There they planted a cross upon a mountain top where they were
able to overlook the three islands from west to southwest.
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
ALBO’S LOG
On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in the westerly
course from ladrones, they law saw landtowards the
northwest; but owing to many shallow places they did not
approach it. They found later thatits name Yunagan.

They went instead that same day southward to another

small Island name Suluan, and there theyanchored. There
they saw some canoes but these fled at Spaniards’
approach. This Island was at 9 andtwo-thirds degrees
North Latitude.
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
ALBO’S LOG
Departing from those two Islands, they sailed westward to
an uninhabited island of “Gada” where tookin a supply of
wood and water. From the Island they sailed towards a large
Island names Seilani “Ceylon”that was inhabited and was
known to have gold.

Sailing southwards they turned southwest to a small island

called “Mazava” , the people of mazava thereare Spaniards
planted a cross upon a mountain-top.
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
ALBO’S LOG
They sailed again towards Seilani, North-westerly direction, they
saw three Islands. They entered achannel between two Island
which was called “Matan” and “Subo”. And anchored at the town
of (la villa)subo, where they stayed for many days and obtained
provisions and entered into a peace-pact with thelocal king.

Town of Subu was on east-west with the island of Suluan and

Mazava. But between Mazava and Subu,there were so many
shallows that the boats could not go westward.
 PRIMARY SOURCE: PIGAFETTA'S
TESTIMONY ON THE ROUTE OF
MAGELLAN'S EXPEDITION
Pigafetta's work is important not only as a source of information about the
voyage itself, but also includes an early Western description of the people and
languages of the Philippines. Of the approximately 240 men who set out with
Magellan, Pigafetta was one of only 18 who returned to Spain.
Magellan arrived in the Philippines based on Pigafetta's testimony. On March
16, 1521, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, attempting to sail around
the world for Spain, reached the Philippine archipelago.
The Appointment of Pigafetta in Magellan's expedition is that during the
expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal,
which later assisted him in translating the Cebuano language.
 PRIMARY SOURCE: PIGAFETTA
AND SEVEN DAYS IN MAZAUA
The most complete and reliable account of the Magellan expedition
into Philippine shores in 1521 is that of Antonio Pigafetta which is
deemed asthe only credible primary source of reports on the
celebration of the first Christian Mass on Philippine soil.

James Robertson's English translation of the original Italian

manuscriptof Pigaffeta's account is most reliable for being ''faithful'' to
the original textas duly certified by the University of the
Philippines' Department of European Language.
 PRIMARY SOURCE: PIGAFETTA
AND SEVEN DAYS IN MAZAUA
Pigafetta's Mazaua, the site of the first Christian Mass held on Philippine soil, is
an island lying off the southwestern tip of Leyte while Masao in Butuan is not
an island but a barangay of Butuan City located in a delta ofthe Agusan River
along the coast of Northern Mindanao. The position of Mazaua, as plotted by
Pigafetta, matched that of Limasawa.

The measurement of distances between Homonhon and Limasawa between

Limasawa and Cebu, as computed by the pro-Limasawa group, matches or
approximates the delineations made by Pigafetta of the distances between
Homonhon and Mazaua and between Mazaua and Cebu.
 PRIMARY SOURCE: PIGAFETTA
AND SEVEN DAYS IN MAZAUA
Magellan's fleet took a route from Homonhon to
Mazaua and from Mazaua to Cebu that did not at any
time touch Butuan or any other lart of Mindanao. The
docking facilities at Limasawa did not pose any
problem for Magellan's fleet which anchored near or at
some safe distance from the island of the eastern shore.
 THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
is a period of competition among the European rulers to conquer and
colonize lands outside their original domains. Initially, the goal was to find
alternative routes by sea to get to Asia, the main source of spices and other
commodity Spain’s major foray into the exploration was through
Christopher Columbus, who proposed to sail westward to find a shortcut to
Asia. He was able to reach the Americas, which was then cut-off from the
rest of the known world.
Spain colonized parts of the North America, Mexico, and South America in
the sixteenth century. They were also able to reach the Philippines and
claim it for the Spanish crow. Later on, other European rulers would
compete with the activities of exploring andconquering lands.