Introduction

Christianity commenced for more than 2,000 years ago, in Israel. But does anyone know

when Christianity reached the Philippines or when and where the first mass occurred?

The Philippines' quincentennial celebrations focus on the 500 years of Christianity in the

country, with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) highlighting the in the

introduction of Christianity on the Philippine shore, with the Santo Niño icon being the most

enduring religious memory.

The visit of Pope Francis will inevitably resurrect a controversial and unresolved issue on

the introduction of Christianity to the Philippines – just where was the first Holy Mass

celebrated? On his arrival, the Pope noted that the Church in the Philippines was preparing to

celebrate the fifth centenary of the “first proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on these

shores.” The introduction of Christianity on Philippine shores is generally linked to the

celebration of the first Holy Mass, and Butuan City and Limasawa, Southern Leyte, both claim to

be the venue of this historical religious rite. It was conducted by Father Pedro de Valderrama of

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, the date was March 31, and the Spanish priest was part of an

expedition to the so-called “East Indies” led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. On

that Sunday afternoon, Magellan ordered his men to plant a large wooden cross on the top of the

hill overlooking the sea. Magellan then ordered a Mass to be celebrated which was officiated by

Father Pedro Valderrama, the Andalusian chaplain of the fleet, the only priest then. Conducted

near the shores of the island, the First Holy Mass marked the birth of Roman Catholicism in the

Philippines. Colambu and Siaiu were the first natives of the archipelago, which was not yet

named "Philippines" until the expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543, to attend the Mass

among other native inhabitants.

 The National Historical Institute (NHI) reached a conclusion after a two-year study. In

1996, it reaffirmed the popular belief propelled by Republic Act 2733 that the first Holy Mass

was celebrated in Limasawa Island on March 31, 1521.The NHI cited the memoirs of Antonio

Pigafetta, who chronicled the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, as “the only credible primary

source that yields the best evidence of the celebration of the first Christian Mass on Philippine

soil.” This issue, however, remains debatable despite the pronouncement from the NHI.

However, In Resolution No. 083-2020 of the past three years, the Magallanes Municipal Council

declared the town known as Baug 500 years ago as the “True Site of the First Mass and

Magellan’s Expedition Landfall.” The place was in Baug, which is now part of Butuan.

The main purpose of this case study is to answer the question “Where did the first mass

happened in the Philippines?” and to analyze the data gathered through research. The

information collected and analyzed is the key to find out where the first mass took place and will

be used as evidence for the researcher’s conclusion.