THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES

(LIMASAWA, LEYTE)
NINA:
On Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, the country of the Philippines witnessed its first
Catholic Mass. Father Pedro De Valderrama made the remark near the coast of a place
that Antonio Pigaffetta referred to as "Mazaua" in his chronicles. Many individuals
contend that the first mass took place in Masao, Butuan, while others assert that it took
place in Limasawa, on the tip of Southern Leyte. Actually, this matter has previously
been resolved by professional studies, which found that Limasawa Island was the proper
location. However, the Philippine National Historical Commission received a number of
requests in 2018 to reconsider the claims made by historians.

SALMAIRA
A representative from Agusan del Norte Butuan City submitted a bill to Congress
in 1995 disputing the traditional theory that the first mass was held in Limasawa. Despite
the competing claims, the National Institute upheld the earlier conclusions and
declaration issued under Republic Act no. 2733 in 1960, claiming Limasawa to be the
location of the first mass.
EVIDENCES THAT FIRST MASS HAPPENED IN LIMASAWA:

LORAINE:
 The first evidence to support my argument in accordance to the accounts of Pigafetta
and Fransisco Albo who are eye-witnesses of the Magellan’s voyage both stated that
the first mass in the Philippines took place on an island of Leyte and turned to
southwest direction to reach this island. Based on this geographic Locations provided
by Albo and Pigafetta, the island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte is the counterpart.

TRIXIA:
 Pigafetta’s Mazaua is an island off the southwestern corner of Leyte where the first
maass was conucted, but Masao in Butuan is a barrio of Butuan City located in a
delta of the Agusan River near the coast of Northern Mindanao. Pigafetta plotted
Mazaua’s position, which coincided with that of Limasawa.

CJ
 The pro-Limasawa group’s computation of distances between Homohon and
Limasawa and between Limasawa and Cebu fits Pigafetta’s description of distances
between homonhon and Mazaua and Cebu.

NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTION (CRITIQUE TO THE OPPONENTS)

- GROUP 2 BUTUAN
LORAINE
They said that the monument is a testimonial to the tradition that Magellan landed at
Butuan and celebrated there that the first mass, the evidence is not convinving because
someone can create a monument or statue everywhere and claim that the first mss
happened there?

NINA
-GROUP 3 BOLINAO
How can you say it is the first mass if even the NHI not included Bolinao to the study
and debating the site of first catholic

(REBUTTAL SPEECH)
QUESTION FROM G2
How can you state that the fact the first first mass was held at Limasawa when Pigaffeta
never says or even implies that was “the first!” in his entire manuscript?

QUESTION FROM G3
How can you say that the first mass that first mass what has been held in the Philippines
is on Limasawa Leyte on 1521 by Magellan if Father Odorico first held his mass in the
country on 1324 that has been recorded on a laque at the wall of St. James the Great?

CJ:
CONCLUSION
We believe that the first mass was held in Limasawa,Leyte because there is lot of
evidences shown that the first mass was held in Limasawa.Also according to the
Republic Act 2733 and the National Historical Commision of the Philippines the first
mass was held in Limasawa.