1.

The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, in
Magallanes, Limasawa Island, Province of Leyte. It was led by Father Pedro de Valderrama of
Ferdinand Magellan's expedition along the shores of what Antonio Pigafetta referred to as
"Mazaua" in his journals. Many historians and the government now believe that this site is
Limasawa, off the tip of Southern Leyte. However, until at least the 19th century, the prevailing
belief was that the first mass was held in Butuan. Some people believe that the first mass was
held in Masao, Butuan.
2. On March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered a Mass to be held, which was officiated by
Father Pedro Valderrama, the fleet's Andalusian chaplain and the only priest at the time. The
First Holy Mass, held near the island's shores, marked the beginning of Roman Catholicism in the
Philippines. It depicts the arrival of Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, on the islands.
There was no Philippines when the first mass was held on Limasawa Island, which is part of
Leyte. The name Filipinas was given to the archipelago in 1542 by Ruy López de Villalobos in
honor of Crown Prince Felipe II of Spain. Even when the Philippines was officially colonized in
1898, Catholicism was spread throughout the islands. When Miguel López de Legazpi officially
colonized the Philippines in 1565, he spread Catholicism throughout the islands. The same
Catholicism that helped shape our identity as Filipinos can still be found in the Philippines today.
3. The location of the first Mass in the Philippines is still a source of contention. Originally, it was
thought that the mass was held on the island of Limasawa in Leyte, but the discovery of the
Golden Tara in Butuan caused some Philippine historians to doubt the Limasawa location.
Because that historical event, that first step to staking territory in the name of God and King,
occurred not in Limasawa, which is part of the Visayas, but in Butuan (Mazaua), which is located
in northern Mindanao, it is said that the first Holy Mass was celebrated not in the Visayas but in
Mindanao. To end the conflict over the first mass, the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines panel adapted the recommendation and unanimously agreed that the evidence and
arguments presented by pro-Butuan advocates are insufficient and convincing to warrant the
repeal or reversal of the National Historical Institute's ruling on the case. It is further supported
by evidence that it was only 22 years later, in 1543, that a Spanish expedition led by Ruy López
de Villalobos arrived in Mindanao.
4. There are actually three points that the NHCP used as basis to conclude that Limasawa, and not
Butuan is the place where Fr. P. Valderrama held the first mass in PHL soil.
 The accounts of Antonio Pigafetta, the main chronicler of the Magellan-Elcano
Expedition. Since Pigafetta laid out locations based on their coordinates and not just by
mere description, geo-locating the said coordinates shows that Limasawa is closer to it.
 T. Pardo de Tavera and Fr. P. Pastells’ journal in 1895 regarding the retracing and
recording of Pigafetta’s accounts and
 The 1971 Expedition of Morison and Obregon which concluded that Limasawa is indeed
the most likely place where the first mass was held.
 On March 31, 1521, at the village of Limasawa on the island of Leyte's southern tip, the
first Christian mass is said to have been held. Magellan's aide Antonio Pigafetta recorded
the location as Mazaua.