THE FIRST MASS WAS IN MASAO, BUTUAN.

TWO PRIMARY SOURCES:

1. Logbook by Francisco Albo (he is the pilot of Ferdinand Magellan expedition
ship, Trinidad and one of the eighteenth survivors who returned with
Sebastian Elcano)
2. Account of Antonio Pigafetta, “Primo viaggio intorno al mondo” (The first
Voyage Around the World)

SUPPORTING EVIDENCES:
1. Diary of Antonio Pigafetta and the chronicles of Magellan’s Voyage
2. The expedition travelled 20 to 25 leagues from homonhon, the first landing
point.
3. The distance to Cebu to mazaua according to Pigaffeta was 35 leagues (140
miles). The distance from Limasawa to Cebu is only 80 miles.
4. It was mention that the king came to their ship in a balanghai. Butuan is
now the site of at least nine excavated balanghai relics: by contrast,
limasawa has no significant archeological relics or balanghai tradition.
5. Abundance of gold in Agusan Valley
BUTUAN NOT IN LIMASAWA
 On June 19, 1960, the Philippine congress enacted bill (R.A. No 2733)
declaring limasawa as the place where Magellan celebrated the first mass
in the Philippines on easter Sunday, March 31, 1521.
 President Carlos P. Garcia (the fourth president of the Republic of the
Philippines) did not sign the law because he was not sure of the fact that
the mazaua in pigaffeta codex is really in limasawa.
 So the law was enacted on June 19, 1960 without executive approval.

Butuan to pursue claim it was site of first mass:

 According to BCHFI (Butuan City Cultural and Historical Foundation Inc)
there are 28 gathered new pieces of scientific evidences and comparison
between the two island (mazaua and limasawa) 10 recovery of 1,600 year
old balahanghai boat in 1976 was found near in masao river. Limasawa has
no baanghai tradition.
 Historian Gregorio Zaide , who originally supported the limasawa claim,
also claim that “ It is high time for contemporary historians and the
Philippine government to correct their mistake and accept that the first
Christian mass was celebrated in masao, Butuan and not in limasawa.”

FRANSISCO ALBO
 “upon a mountain-top from which could be seen three islands to the west
and southwest. Where they were told there was much gold. And Butuan
was known for its mining of gold so Fransisco Albo were referring to
Butuan.
ANTONOI PIGAFFETA’S ACOUNT
 Antonio Pigafetta’s account, with the considerations of some cross
references, the landing and the First Eucharistic celebration being
witnessed by Raja Calambu and Raja Siani, implied that this was held in
 Masao, Butuan, Mindanao, Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521 officiated by
Fray Pedro de Valderama and in a hilly place of Masao, Magellan planted a
wooden cross. It was clearly established that (1) the Spaniards arrived and
landed in the island of Mazzaua (Masao), Mindanao having described with
a great quantity of dogs, cats, pigs, fowls, and goats, rice, ginger, cocos, figs,
oranges, lemons, millet, wax, and gold mines. There were mountains and
on it a good timbers and other forest products.

WAYS TO PROVING THAT RIZAL DID NOT RETRACT

The two eyewitness:
Baron Fernandez- Had an eyewitness account of the retraction which he discover
in those spain’s dirty secret. He found 34 documents including hand written
letters, telegram, and military documents including a thick sheaf of Rizal defense.
He had written himself day before he was murdered at Bagumbayan.
According to him he has documents stating that before he faced death,
Rizal told his sister Narcisa to look inside his shoes because he had left a letter,
and according to Fernandez, that letter could only be a denial of his retraction
because Rizal knew the friars were misleading the Filipinos and he wanted to set
the record straight.

Manuel Morato- a friend of Baron Fernandez. Manuel said in his “expose” that
the friars forged the retraction letter and published in the Clerico- Fascist at that
time. Manuel confirm saying “No, Rizal never retracted although that fake
retraction was published by the friars then it is still sadly peddled in most school,
but that is not true”.

1. The document of retraction were kept secret, only copies of it were

furnished to the newspaper, but with the exemption of person, nobody saw
the original.
2. When the family asked for the original of the said document or a copy of
the alleged retraction letter, the petition was denied.
3. If Rizal retracted he would not have been executed. But he was executed,
therefor Rizal did not retract. He would have been an example for the
cause of the friars.