Chapter 8
Direction: Below is a guide table (figure) to accomplish the task. Just fill in the boxes
with its required content (answers). Research the following
Case Studies According to
Francisco Albo
Site of the First Where is the first Mass in the
Philippines really held? Some
Mass historian says that it is in
Limasawa on the southern tip of
Leyte and some says it is held in
Masao, Butuan. At this very
moment this issue is being
contested by this people from this
two different places claiming that
the first Mass is held in their
place.
The researchers search for the
facts and evidences that may
lead on where it is the first Mass
truly held. The data show in the
table is the evidences that the
researchers gathered in this case
study about where is the first
Mass really held? The researcher
analyse the only two primary
sources that historians refer in
identifying the site of the first
Mass. One is the log kept by
Francisco Albo, a pilot of one of
According to
Antonio Pigafetta
The first Catholic Mass in the
Philippines was held on March 31,
1521, Easter Sunday, in Magallanes,
Limasawa Island in the Province of
Leyte. The shore where it was held
was of what was referred as
"Mazaua" in the journals of Antonio
Pigafetta. It was officiated by Father
Pedro de Valderrama, who was the
only priest then. The First Holy Mass
was ordered by Ferdinand Magellan.
It marked the birth of Roman
Catholicism in the Philippines.
Despite the pronouncement from the
National Historical Institute in 1996,
when they reaffirmed the popular
belief propelled by Republic Act 2733,
that the first mass was celebrated on
March 31, 1521 in the Limasawa
island, the issue of the real date and
location of the first mass is still
debatable. Tommy Gomez is one of
those who doesn't believe that it was
the first celebrated mass. He argued
that the mass that took place on
According to
Miguel A. Bernard
Using the Primary Source available,
Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernard in his
work Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of
the First Mass in the Philippines A re-
examination of Evidence (1981) lays
down the argument that in the Butuan
is riverine settlement, situated on the
Agusan River.
28th of March (Holy Thursday)
They anchor near an island and a
small came with eight natives to
whom Magellan threw some trinkets.
In the afternoon of that day, the
Spanish ship weighed anchor and
came closer to shore near thenative
king's village.
 March 31, 1521 isn't the first mass 29th of March (Holy Friday)
Magellan’s ship, Trinidad. He was held in the Philippines, because if it
one of the 18 survivors who was the Easter Sunday, then a mass
returned with Sebastian Elcano should have been celebrated on the Magellan sent his slave interprerer to
on the ship Victoria after they Palm Sunday, which is the same as
ask the king about food supplies and
circumnavigated the world. The what is practiced until today.
other, and the more complete, he also said that they came as a
was the account of Antonio friend not as enemies. The king and
Pigafetta, Primo viaggio intorno al
mondo (First Voyage around the his six or eight men went up
World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a Magellan's ship and the two men
member of the Magellan
embraced. Another exchange of gifts
expedition and an eyewitness of
the events, particularly, of the first was made, when they returned, they
Mass. bring two members of Magellan's
After analysing the primary
sources from Pigafetta and Albo’s expedition as guests and one of them
account, and some of the is Pigafetta.
secondary sources that the
researchers used as related
studies from the historians
conducted research to support
our claims regarding to the first
Mass. The researcher lead to a
conclusion that Antonio
Pigafetta’s account is more firm
than Albo because Pigafetta’s
account is more complete and
supported by evidences including
the date of event and also the
location. In Albo’s account he
didn’t mention the first Mass but
only the planting of the cross
upon a mountain top from which
could be seen three islands to the
west and southwest unlike
Pigafetta he mention in his
account that the first Mass is held
in Butuan on Easter Sunday,
March 31. Pigafetta also seen as
a is a credible source because
his work was instantly became
classic that prominent in the west
like William Shakespeare, Michel
de Montaigne, and Giambattista
Vico referred to the book in their
interpretation of the new world.
The chronicle of Pigafetta was
one of the most cited documents
by historians who wished to study
the pre-colonial Philippines.

Therefore, the researchers

conclude that the first mass was
held in Masao, Butuan and not in
Limasawa Leyte; because
according to (Republic Act No.
2733) the law as well as the
government declare that the first
mass is really held in Masao,
Butuan. Even though there is
also a law declare Limasawa as
the place were the first Mass held
there’s a possibility that they only
want to detour us to the truth that
Butuan is the real place where it
is held because there’s a lot of
evidences that leads to the
conclusion that the first Mass was
held in Masao, Butuan. That’s
why the researchers
 recommended that the future
researchers should conduct a
further research and find
additional information to
strengthen this claim.

Case Studies According to According to

Jesuit friar Fr. Vicente
Balaguer
Retraction of
Rizal It was dated December 29, 1896 and signed
by Jose Rizal. Fr. Vicente Balaguer's
statement: Balaguer was one of the Jesuit
priests who visited Rizal during his last hours
in Fort Santiago and claimed that he
managed to persuade Rizal to denounce
Masonry and return to the Catholic fold.
Cuerpo de Vigilancia
According naman po sa testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia
( The Cuerpo de Vigilancia de Manila (Security Corps of
Manila) was the intelligence service that the Spanish
colonial government created in 1895. It was organized
primar - ily to gather information on the activities of
Katipunan members and supporters.
 Case Studies According to
Guillermo masangkay
Cry of Rebellion
According to Masangkay, on August
26, 1896, the Supremo summons
all katipuneros to a meeting to discuss
the early rebellion of revolt against the
Spanish colonizers on August 29,
1896. On his account, Lt. Olegario
Diaz (a Spanish guardia civil officer)
reported that the cry occurred in
Balintawak on August 25, 1896
The Cry of Balintawak occurred on
August 26, 1896. The Cry, defined as
that turning point when the Filipinos
finally refused Spanish colonial
dominion over the Philippine
Islands. With tears in their eyes, the
people as one man, pulled out their
cedulas and tore them into piece
According to
Pio Valenzuela
Pío Valenzuela, a close associate of Andrés
Bonifacio, declared in 1948 that it happened in
Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896. Historian
Gregorio Zaide stated in his books in 1954 that
the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on August 26,
1896.
Pio Valenzuela is the second and later version of
the first rally of the Katipunan by Dr. Valenzuela
himself. The first version, which he gave, told of
the "Cry of Balintawak" as the staging point of the
Philippine revolution.