https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=a5_8nHdF-dk

Evidence of Limasawa
1. The Logbook of Francisco Albo (MAZAVA)
✓ He was the pilot of Magellan’s Spanish ship, “Trinidad”.
✓ One of those 18 survivors who returned to the ship “Victoria”.

a. March 16, 1521: they sailed westward from Ladrones, saw land to the
northwest, but did not approach due to many shallow spots. They later
discovered that its name was Yunagan.
b. Instead, they went south on the same day to another small island called
Suluan, where they anchored. They saw some canoes there, but they fled
when the Spaniard approached. This island was located at 9 degrees and two-
thirds north latitude.
c. They sailed westward from those two islands to the uninhabited island of
“Gada”, where the took in a supply of food and water. The sea around the
island was free of shallows.
d. They sailed west from the island towards a large island called Seilani, which
was inhabited and known to have gold. Ceylon
e. Sailing south along the coast of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small
island calles “Mazava”, which is also at a latituede of 9 and two-thirds
degrees north.
f. The people on the island of Mavaza were wonderful. The Spaniards planted
a cross on a mountain-top and were shown three islands to the west ansd
southwest, where they were told there was a lot of gold.
g. They sailed northwards again from Mazava, this time towards Seilani. They
followed the coast of Seilani in a northwestern direction, ascending to 10
degrees latitude and seeing three small islands.
h. They sailed westwards for 10 leagues until they came to 3 islets, where they
anchored for the night. In the morning, they sailed southwest for 12 leagues,
down to a latitude of 10 and one-third degree. They entered a channel
between two islands, one called “Matan” and the other “Subu”.
i. They sailed down the channel, then turned west and anchored at Subu’s town
where they stayed for several days, obtained provisisons, and signed treaties
with the local king.
j. The town of Subu was located east-west of islands of Suluan and Mazava.
However, there were so many shallows between Mazava and Subu that the
boats couldn’t go westward directly and had to go in a roundabout way.
This must be noted that the location of Mazava in Albo’s account corresponds to the
location of Limasawa, which is located at the southern tip of Leyte, 9 degrees 54 N.
However, he did not mention the first mass, but only the planting of the cross on a
 mountain-top from which three islands to the west and southwest could be seen, which also
fits the southern end of Limasawa. Poro, Pasihan, and Ponson Islands.
2. The Antonio Pigafetta’s Evidence (MAZAUA)
✓ Pigafetta was a famous Italian traveler who studied navigation.
✓ A member of Magellan’s expedition and eyewitness to the events of first mass.
✓ He was also one of those 18 survivors out of 240 who returned to Spain in 1522.
a. Testimony of Pigafetta (year, 1521)
- March 16: Magellan’s expedition sighted “Zamal”, a high land,
approximately 300 leagues west of Marianas Islands.
- March 17: landed on another uninhabited islad. They set up two tents for
the crew’s sick members and had a sow slaughtered for them. The island’s name
was Humunu, which was the Homonhon. The locations are 10 degrees North
Latitude.
- March 17: Magellan named the entire archiapelago the Islands of Saint
Lazarus. It was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned for the Mass
and the lIturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St. Jon, which tells of the rising
of Lazarus from the dead.
- March 18: In the afternoon, they noticed a boat approaching them, which
contained 9 men. A gift exchange was carried out Magellan requested. food
supplies, and the men left, promising to the return in 4 days with rice and other
supplies.
On the island of Homonhon, there were two springs of water. They discovered some hints
that these islands were rich in gold. As a result, Magellan renamed the island the Watering
Place of Good Omen”.
-March 22: the natives returned at noon, in 2 boats with food supplies.
Magellan’s Expedition stayed at Homonhon for 8 days, begins on Sunday. March 17-25
-March 25: The expedition weighed anchor and left the island of
Homonhon in the afternoon. In ecclesiastical calendar, this day was the feast-day
of the Incarnation.
The expedition’s route after leaving Homonhon was toward the west southeast, between 4
islands: Cenalo Hiunanghan, Ibusson, and Albarien. Cenalo is an Italian manuscript
misspelled by Pigafetta as he called it as Ceilon and Albo as Seilani as island of Leyte. He
also mistook hiunanghan as hinunangan in mainland of leyte, Hibuson as Ibussion in
southern of leyte.
They left Homonhon, sailing westward towards Leyte, then southward, passing between
the island of Hibuson on their port side and Hiunangan Bay on their southboard, continuing
southward, then west to Mazaua.
 -March 28: In the morning of Holy Thursday, they anchored off an Island
where the previous night they had seen a light. That island lies in the latitude of 9
and 2/3 degrees north of the Arctic Pole and a longitude of one hundred and sixty-
two degrees south.
They sailed Southbound passing the Leyte coast and Bridge Mazaua on March 28, 1521.
-April 4: They stayed at Mazaua, and went to Cebu. They traveled 5 islands:
Ceylon, Boho, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatigan.
They sailed westward form Gatigan to the 3 islands of the Camotes Group: Poro, Pahihan,
and Ponson, where the Spanish ships were faster than the native balanghai. They sailed
from Camotes to Cebu.
b. Pigaffeta’s map showing where they stayed in Mazaua
- Mazaua, 25 Leagues or 138.9 km aways from the Homonhon Island where
they from.
Experts supports that the claim of Antonio Pigafetta’s distance of Mazaua to Homonhon
fits well in the description.
c. The two native kings
-The presence of 2 native kings confirmed evidence at Mazaua during
Magellan’s visit.
- Rajah Siagu: Butuan
- Rajah Kolambo: Limasawa
d. “Mazaua” for seven days
- Day 1: March 28 – they anchored near an island where they had seen a
light before a small boat with 8 natives. Natives paddled away, but 2 hrs later two
larger boats arrived, one of which housed the native king. Some of the natives went
up the Spanish ship at Magellan’s invitation, but the native king remained seated in
his boat. Spanish ships weighed anchor and drew closer to shore, near the native
king’s village on Holy Thursday.
- Day 2: March 29 – Magellan sent his slave to ask the king if he could
provide the expedition with food supplies and to assure the king that they had come
as friends. The king himself arrived in a boat with 6 to 8 men climed in Magellan’s
shop and the 2 men embraced.
- Day 3: March 30 – Pigafetta and his companion had spent the evening
before feasting. Pigafetta lamented the fact that, despite the fact it was Good Friday,
 they had to eat meat. Saturday, Pigafetta and his companion leave and and returned
to the ships.
- Day 4: March 31 – Early in the morning, the last of March and Easter
day, Magellan ordered the priest and some men ashore to prepare for the Mass.
Later that morning, Magellan arrived with 50 men, and Mass was celebrated,
followed by the veneration of a cross. They plant the cross on the highest hill.
-Day 5: April 1- Magellan sent men ashore to assist with the harvest, but
no work was done.
-Day 6: April 2 – harvesting
-Day 7: April 4 – they leave the Mazaua and back to Cebu.

Evidence of Butuan
1. The Name of the place
- The primary sources was Antonio Pigafetta. In his account, the Mazaua location was the
Masao in Butuan according to some historians. And Limasawa is not the location of the first mass.
2. The Route from Homonhon
- According to Pigafetta, the expedition traveled 20 to 25 leagues west southwest from
Homonhon, their first landing point, to site of the first mass. If they had been on Limasawa Island,
the distance is only about 14.6 leagues. And, Limasawa is separated from Homonhon by the tip of
Southern Leyte.
3. The Geographical Features
a. The Bonfire
- explores were drawn to the light present the night before they arrive at the shore.
Masao in Butuan means bright.
b. The Balanghai
- they stayed in the first kingdom. The king arrived at their ship in Balanghai, and
Pigafetta and his companion attended a party in Balanghai with a local King.
c. Abundance of gold
- according to Pigafetta, they discovered some hints that the islands were rich in
gold, prompting Magellan to rename the island as Watering Place of Good Omen.
- according to Albo, golds were shown to them.
- Butuan is said to have gold, whereas Limaswa is said to have none.
500 years of Christianity
• Purpose of Voyage of Spaniards to the Philippines – not only to promote Christianity
but also to colonize the country by the use of religion.
• Why do we need to Commemorate the 500 years of Christianity - to thank God for the
gift of faith then and now.
- Colonization: April 14,1521
- Raja Humabon: napapayag ng mga mananakop para raw gawing malakas.
- Fusion of Religion: Catholic (Philippines) + Christianity (Spanish Colonizers)
Ex: rituals, community gathering
Sto. Nino, Nazareno, Bathala, Anito
- Hara Juana: wife of Raha Humabon, seduced by the Holy Child.
Ex: Batang Jesus, mga rebulto, birhen quota, Santo Nino, Eche nomo
- 80% almost of Filipinos are Christians.
- Paghangop – yakap ng mga Pilipino sa Kultura.