GED103

Position Paper

THE SITE OF THE FIRST MASS

“Limasawa or Butuan?”

An ongoing debate continued to unroll as the question, “Did the first mass of the

Philippines happen in Limasawa or Butuan?” is left unanswered. Some people firmly believe

that the first mass happened in Limasawa, while some continue to believe it happened in

Butuan. Looking back at the verified and credible primary sources to back up these claims,

Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian researcher, published a book titled “First Voyage Around the

Planet,” where he wrote that on March 31, 1521, the first mass happened. However, the real

question remained unanswered. Where exactly did the first mass take place?

Antonio Pigafetta wrote that the mass occurred on an island called “Mazaua” on Easter Sunday

of March 31, 1521. This provided insufficient evidence as to where the mass took place. A lot

were unaware of where Mazaua was located. This led to an argument stating that the island of

Mazaua is on the island of Leyte, Limasawa, while some strongly opposed saying it is in Masao

in Mindanao. In the diary of Francisco Albo, he stated that Magellan’s voyage was going

towards the Southern end of Limasawa. They sailed to the deserted island of Gada in the west,

where they resupplied water and wood. Antonio Pigafetta then wrote a testimony regarding the

route of their expedition. He even drew the map of their voyage, which eventually matched that

of Limasawa.

The island of Mazaua (named Mazzana on the map), where the mass took place, according to

Pigafetta, was an island off the coast of Leyte. At that time, contrary to everyone’s beliefs,

Masao wasn’t an island but rather a barangay situated in the Agusan River Delta. The locations
of Mazaua and Limasawa were then matched, according to Albo’s diary and Pigafetta’s map

sketch.

Both Francisco Albo’s diary and Antonio Pigafetta’s book were deemed primary sources

because they were people who experienced the expedition firsthand. They were first-hand

witnesses of Magellan’s voyage and the first mass of the Philippines. Their account of the 1521

Magellan expedition to the coasts was considered credible and convincing.

Therefore, I stand with Limasawa being the site of the first Christian Mass in the Philippines.

The sources used were credible and convincing enough. Another source to support this claim

would be the Republic Act 2733, which declares Limasawa, Leyte, as the site of the first mass in

the Philippines. Another is the agreement of NHCP or the National Historical Commission of the

Philippines that the first mass indeed happened in Limasawa and deemed the sources of

Butuan being the site of the mass as insufficient.

The evidences of the opposition were inconsistent. They argued that the monument built in

Butuan was a testimonial to the tradition that Magellan stopped in Butuan and there celebrated

the mass. However, a monument is not enough to support its argument, and it cannot be

deemed as a primary source.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that the site of the first Christian Mass in the Philippines happened

in Limasawa as it provided more sufficient, solid, credible, and convincing facts to back up this

claim. Even the law and the NHCP recognized Limasawa as the site of the first mass.

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