GROUP 1

HANDOUTS ABOUT

WHERE DID THE FIRST CATHOLIC MASS TAKE PLACE IN PHILIPPINES?

FIRST MASS
On March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday, held at limasawa attended by local
islanders, spanish voyagers, and the two rajah’s.
Pigafetta and Francisco Albo who are eye-witnesses of the Magellan’s voyage
bothstated that the first mass in the Philippines took place on an island called Mazava in
Albo’s account and Mazaua in Pigafetta’s account. They both asserted that from the
island of Homonhon they went westward towards the island of Leyte and turned to a
southwest direction to reach this island. Based on this geographic locations provided by
Albo and Pigafetta, the island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte is the counterpart. On the
contrary, the statement of Father Fernando Colins, a historian, in his work Labor
Evangelica, he asserted that Magellan went to Butuan and there he celebrated the first
Mass and erected a cross. And to support this, Antonio Pigafetta testified that he gave a
gift of certain things to the queen Mother of France — Louise of Savory and mother of
Francis I. Gian Battista Ramusio mentioned that a copy of Pigafetta’s account was
given to Louise of Savory. Whereas, this manuscripts were translated to French by
Jacques Fabre and imprinted by Simon de Colins. And also, there was a monument
erected during 1872 to commemorate the First Mass in Butuan on April 8, 1521. In my
opinion, Ramusio’s version of Pigafetta’s manuscripts are not reliable. The
transmissions of text from Pigafetta to Louise of Savoy to Simon de Coline is without
documentary support. Pigafetta himself did not mention that he gave a copy of his
manuscript to Louise of Savoy but simply a gift of a certain thing. And I would like to
point out, based on Father Colin’s account, Magellan and his men went to Cebu on
April,1521. But in the monument inscription, the first mass was held on April, 1521 on
Butuan. It is not possible to go back to Butuan from Cebu in just one day on the same
day of the mass wherein, Butuan is 236 kilometers away from Cebu and the ships back
then were not that fast enough. On the same day of the mass, a cross was erected on
the summit of a mountain and according to Francis Albo, at the summit of the mountain,
you can see three islands from west and southwest whereas, Butuan can be seen in the
North direction. Based on the topographical details given by Albo and Pigafetta, it
describes the present Limasawa.
Secondly, Magellan did not go to Butuan to meet the king there. According to
Pigafetta and Albo, while in the island of Mazaua, they met two chieftains: one is the
chieftain of Mazaua and one is the chieftain of Butuan who was said to be visiting the
island. This oppose to the book written Historia de Mindanao y Jolo written by Francisco
Combes S.J. who worked as a missionary in the Philippines. He stated that
Magellanwent to Butuan because they heard the king in Butuan is more powerful that
they wanted to meet him. It was said that their expectations were satisfied by the king.
As aresult, they planted a cross on a hill in a solemn ceremony as sign of future
alliance. In Francisco Colin’s Work, the first mass occurred the same day they planted a
cross. In this case, I hereby agree to Pigafettas’s and Albo’s account because they are
eye-witnesses and considered as first-hand accounts. Pigafetta’s work is the most
detailedand reliable source of information regarding Magellan’s voyage compared to the
claim sstated by second hand accounts.
 Although the evidences presented came from only two accounts, those
evidences are considered as primary sources. The corroboration of information and
statements on those two were present while the Pro-Butuan claims are mostly based
from second hand accounts. Even though their claims are supported by other historians,
the corroboration of information and statements are inconsistent. The evidences above
mentioned such as: the evidence from Albo’s logbook and Pigafetta’s account; the two
native kings; the seven days at Mazaua along with other evidences such as the
confirmatory evidence from the Legazpi expedition is already enough for me to affirm
that Limasawa is the original place where the first mass in the Philippines was held on.

THE EVIDENCE FOR LIMASAWA

1. The evidence of Albo’s Log-Book
2. The evidence of Pigafetta
a. Pigafetta’s testimony regarding the route;
b. The evidence of Pigafetta’s map:
c. The two native kings;
d. The seven days at “Mazaua”;
e. An argument from omission.
3. Summary of the evidence of Albo and Pigafetta
4. Confirmatory evidence from the Legazpi expedition.
Limawasa in Leyte Or Masao in Butuan?
TWO SOURCES

1. FRANCISCO ALBO
 Albo did not mention the first mass
 He only mentioned the planting of cross on the hill
 Tell us that they are in Limasawa which is part of Southern Leyte

2. ANTIONIO PIGAFETTA
 March 17 – named the Humunu as Island of Saint Lazarus
 Welcomed by the Filipinos
 Stayed eight days at Homonhon
 March 25 – left Homonhon
 March 28 – Holy Thursday
 Stayed 7 days at Mazaua
 Pigafetta account was more detailed
 Stayed during Holy Week
 March 31 – Easter Sunday FIRST CATHOLIC MASS AT LIMASAWA
 Held by Fr. Pedro Valderama

1. EVIDENCES FROM ALBO

 Went to small island named yunagan and suluan

 Departing from the two island they sailed westward to gada (in Pigafetta it seems
to be the Homonhon)
  Next stop is westward seilani which was known to have gold. (Pigafetta called it
Ceylon the island of Leyte)
 Turned to southwest to mazava:
- Spaniards plantes a cross upon a mountain-top
 Sailed northwards again to seilani and from there they sailed westwards, entered
a channel between two island Matan and Subu.
 Sailed down and turned westward at the town of la villa of Subu where they
stayed and peace pact happened.

2. EVIDENCES FROM PIGAFETTA

 FIVE POINTS:
a. Testimony regarding the route
b. Evidence of Pigafetta’s map
c. Two native kings
d. Seven days at Mazaua
e. Argument from omission

a. TESTIMONY REGARDING TO THE ROUTE

 March 16, 1521 – sighted zamal

 Sunday March 17- sailed to Humunu (Island of Saint Lazarus)
 March 25- feast day or also called OurLady’s Day, Pigafetta got into accident.
 Leaving Homonhon towards fourislands Cenalo (Island of
Leyte),Hiunanghan (Mainland of Leyte),Ibusson (Leyte’s southern tip)
and Albarien
 March 28- Holy Thursday landed atMazaua and remained 7 days.
 April 4 left Mazaua and bound for Cebu.
 April 7- entered Cebu and had taken them 3 days to negotiate the journey from
Mazaua to Camotes Islands and southward Cebu.

b. EVIDENCE OF PIGAFETTA’S MAP

 Shows the Irge island of Samar and smaller island of Suluan, Abarien,
Hiunangan and Humunu
 Doulble map- one map shows Mindanao or maguindanao which shows the
Panguil bay
 Third map- shows the island of Mazaua in relations to Ceilon and Baibai, Bohol
Gatighan and Camotes Group (Polon, Polzon, Ticobon)
COMPARISON OF MAP SEEM JUSTIFIED
 Mazaua lies at southerwestern tip of larger island of Ceilon (Southern Leyte) and
east of Bohol
 Mazaua at Pigafetta’s map lies in a position roughly equivalent to the actual
position of the Limasawa
 In no way Mazaua be identified with Butuan which situated at much larger island

c. TWO NATIVE KINGS

Confirmatory evidence
o One was the king of
Mazaua
o The other was a relative:
the king of Butuan
Confirmatory evidence
o One was the king of
Mazaua
o The other was a relative:
the king of Butuan
 Confirmatory evidence
- One was the king of Mazaua
- The other was a relative: the king of Butuan
d. SEVEN DAYS AT MAZAUA

 Expedition stayed in the island of Mazaua for a week

e. ARGUMENT FROM OMISSION

 If “Mazaua” were Butuan, there is a curious omission in Pigafetta’s account which
would be difficult to explain. Butuan is riverine settlement. It is situated on the
Agusan River.
 The beach called Masao is in the delta of that river. If the Magellan expedition
were at that delta, and if Mass were celebrated there, why there is no mention of
the river?
 Later on, after Magellan’s death and after Cebu debacle, the survivors of his
expedition went to Butuan.
 Pigafetta describes quite vividly a trip up river to see the queen. But that was
after Magellan’s death. 40 years later, members of Legaspi’s expedition visited
Butuan, and the river anchorage forms a very important part of their account.
 The point seemed clear: As pilots of Legazpi expedition understood it, Mazaua
was an island near Leyte and Panaon; Butuan was onthe island of Mindanao.
The two were entirely different places and in no wise identical.

3. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE OF ALBO AND PIGAFETTA

The following evidence was taken from Albo’s logbook and Pigafetta’s
account:
 Through the south island of Samar, Magellan’s expedition entered
the Philippines and stayed for a week in Homonhon. They sailed
westward towards Leyte and rounded the southern tip of Panaon
Island where they anchored off the eastern shore of Mazaua
Island. Upon a week of staying, during which on Easter Sunday,
they celebrated a mass and planted a cross on the highest
hill’s summit.
 The described position of Mazaua Island and its latitude of nine
and two-thirds degrees North clearly correspond to the position
and latitude south of Leyte.
 Clearly from Mazaua, Magellan’s expedition sailed northwestwards
through the Canigao Channel, then northward parallel to this latter
island, then sailed westward to Camotes Group and southwestwards
to Cebu.
 In that itinerary, at no point did the Magellan expedition go to
Butuan or any on the Mindanao coast. It was said that only
 after Magellan’s death did the survivors of the expedition go
to Mindanao.

4. CONFIRMATORY EVIDENCE FROM LEGAZPI EXPEDITION

he López de Legazpi and

Urdaneta expedition to the
Philippines effectively
created the
trans-Pacific Manila galleon
trade, in which silver mined
from Mexico and Potosí was
exchanged
for Chinese silk, porcelain,
Indonesian spices, Indian
gems, and other goods
precious to Europe at
the time. There is
confirmatory evidence from
the documents of the
Legazpi expedition, which
sailed into Philippine water
in 1565, forty-four years
after Magellan. Legazpi and
his pilots were
anxious to visit was precisely
Mazaua, and they inquired
about "Mazaua" from
Camotuan and
his companions, natives of
the village of Canadian at
the Southeastern end of the
island of Leyte.
Guided by these natives, the
Legazpi ships rounded the
island of "Panay" (Panaon),
which was
separated from Leyte by a
narrow strait, and anchored
off "Mazaua". But they
found the
inhabitants to be hostile,
apparently as a result of
Portuguese depredation that
had occurred in the
The López de Legazpi and Urdaneta expedition to the Philippines
effectively created the trans-Pacific Manila galleon trade, in which silver
mined from Mexico and Potosí was exchanged for Chinese silk, porcelain,
Indonesian spices, Indian gems, and other goods precious to Europe at
the time. There is confirmatory evidence from the documents of the
Legazpi expedition, which sailed into Philippine water in 1565, forty-four
years after Magellan. Legazpi and his pilots were anxious to visit was
precisely Mazaua, and they inquired about "Mazaua" from Camotuan
and his companions, natives of the village of Canadian at the
Southeastern end of the island of Leyte. Guided by these natives, the
Legazpi ships rounded the island of "Panay" (Panaon), which was
separated from Leyte by a narrow strait, and anchored off "Mazaua".
But they found the inhabitants to be hostile, apparently as a result of
Portuguese depredation that had occurred in the
four-decade interval between the Legazpi and the Magellan expeditions.
From Mazaua they went to Camiguin which was visible from Mazaua and
from there they intended to go to Butuan on the island of Mindanao but
were driven instead by contrary winds to Bohol. The point seems clear
that as pilots of the Legazpi expedition understood it,
Mazaua was an island near Leyte and Panaon, Butuan was on the
island of Mindanao. The two were entirely different places and in no
wise identical.

The following evidence was

taken from Albo’s logbook
and Pigafetta’s account:
1. Through the south island
of Samar, Magellan’s
expedition entered the
Philippines and stayed for
a week in Homonhon. They
sailed westward towards
Leyte and rounded the
southern tip of
Panaon Island where they
anchored off the eastern
shore of Mazaua Island.
Upon a week of
staying, during which on
Easter Sunday, they
celebrated a mass and planted
a cross on the highest
hill’s summit.
2. The described position
of Mazaua Island and its
latitude of nine and two-
thirds degrees North
clearly correspond to the
position and latitude south
of Leyte.
3. Clearly from Mazaua,
Magellan’s expedition sailed
northwestwards through the
Canigao
Channel, then northward
parallel to this latter island,
then sailed westward to
Camotes Group and
southwestwards to Cebu.
4. In that itinerary, at no
point did the Magellan
expedition go to Butuan or
any on the Mindanao
coast. It was said that
only after Magellan’s death
did the survivors of the
expedition go to