Site of the First Mass: Is it in Limasawa or is it in Masao

By : Luke Rogel
To start the topic may I ask the questions, is the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines Held in
Limasawa or is it in Masao, Butuan? There is always room for conflicts and controversies in our
studies of Philippine history. Why are there spaces for conflicts and controversies? Primarily
because one is that historians could be subjective in there interpretations, and so their
interpretations may become biased because of their knowledge of things, they may be biased
in their own personal interpretations of artifacts, regarding to the knowledge that artifacts
cannot interpret for themselves, so those individuals who may interpreted the artifact might be
biased in their interpretation. Another thing is that there are multiple perspectives in
interpreting history, that is why there will always be room for conflicts, that’s why historians
have the saying “their can only be one history but many interpretations”.

In the year 1998 the national historical Institute, declared that Limasawa island is the place in
which the first Catholic Mass was held in the Philippines, but their was also claims that Masao
was also the place of the First Mass was being held. The first Catholic Mass happened on March
31st 1621, and the Mass was presided by Father Pedro Valderrama who is a Catholic Friar, who
was together the with the legendary Portuguese born Spanish Explorer Ferdinand Magellan. To
understand there is actually two evidence as to where and when, this Catholic Mass transpired
in the Philippines. The first account comes form Francisco Albo, who was one of the pilot of
Magellan’s ships named the TRINIDAD and Francisco Albo was one of the few men who
survived after the death of Magellan, who was accompanied by Sebastian Del Cano in going
back to Spain and second was Antonio Pigafetta, who was an Italian cartographer and was also
a geoghapher who was send by the king of Spain at that time to accompany Magellan to record
their voyage to uncharted islands.
According to Francisco Albo, on March 16 1521 their they are sailing at the western courses
from LaDrones known as Marianas island, they saw land towards the northwest but owning to
many shallow and unknown places, they did not approach it and was found out later that it’s
name was Yunagan. They sailed instead in the same day to the southwards, to the small island
now Butuan and anchored, there they saw Canoes but fled at the coming Spaniards this island
was at 9th and 23 degree north latitude, moving along form that island they sailed to the
western ward to an uninhabitable island of Gada where they took in supply of wood and water,
Albo does not give the latitude of this island but Pigafetta record seems to be the Accquada or
Humonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.

From that island they sailed to the westwards towards a large island name Seilani that was
inhabited and was known to have gold. Pigafetta call it Ceylon was the island of Leyte, now
 sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to a
small island called Mazava that island is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degree North. The
people of that island of Mazava were very good. There the Spaniards erected a cross upon the
mountain top, and from there they were shown three islands to the west and southwest,
where they were told there was much gold. “they showed us how the gold was gathered, which
came in small pieces like peas and lentils”.
We to recall that Albo did not mentioned anything about the Mass, but what he mentioned
about was the erecting of the cross on the mountain top, and further more he did not also
mention Limasawa island, nor neither mentioned Masao in Butuan??? However basing on the
latitude and the location of the records of Albo would fit to the location of Limasawa island,
where is in the southern tip of Leyte. Moving on in Pigafetta’s account. On Saturday March 16
1521 Magellan’s Expedition sighted a “high land” name “Zamal” which was some 300 leagues
westward of Ladrones now called Marianes islands. The following day March 17 after sighting
Zamal island, they landed on “another island which was uninhabited” and which lay “to the
right” of the above mentioned island of Zamal, (to the right would mean on their starboard
going south or southwest.) They set up two tents for the sick members of the crew and have a
saw killed for them. The name of this island was Humuno now called Homomhon was located
10 degrees North latitude. On that same day Sunday, March 17. Magellan named the entire
archipelago the “Island of Saint Lazarus”, the reason being that it was Sunday in the Lenten
season when the Gospel assigned for the Mass and the liturgical Office was 11 chapter of John,
which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Monday March 18 in the afternoon of the
second day on that island, they saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in it. An
exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food and the men went away, promising to
bring rice and other supplies in “four days”.

There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon. Also they saw there some
indications that there was gold in these islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the island and
called it the (Acquada la di bouni seglalles) “Watering Place of Good Omen. On Friday March 22
at noon the natives return, thus time they went with two boats and they brought food supplies.
Magellan’s Expedition stayed eight day at Homonhon from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday of
the Following week, March 25th. In this vary same text we can see that the Native Filipinos
welcome the Europeans and offers them food, also in this text we can say that the Europeans
was astonished by the presence of gold in this islands, that is why they called it the “Watering
place of Good signs”. On March 25th Monday on that afternoon, left the island of Homonhon
and sailed towards west southwest that was between the four islands, named Cenalo,
Huinanghan, Ibisson and Albarien. This Cenalo is probably a misspelling in the Italian
manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map calls “Ceilon” and Albo calls “Seilani”, namely the
islands of Leyte. They followed the Leyte coast southward, passing between the island of
Hibuson on their portside and Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and then continued
 southward then turning westward to “Mazaua”. They landed and anchored in the island of
Mazaua, on March 28 the morning of Holy Thursday. And reaching this island was 25 leagues
from Acquada, and called the Mazaua. Remaining there for seven days on Mazaua island. The
conflict here is that Albo mentioned the name Masava, while Pigafetta mentioned it Mazaua.

Moving on, after staying for 7 days in Mazaua island, and of course there they celebrated the
First Mass on Mazaua. Leaving Mazaua guided by the king of Mazaua and went to Cebu or
Subu, where we all know that Magellan was killed in Cebu. It must be mention that Pigafetta’s
account, was very detailed during the 7 days activities in Mazuao island. Basically saying that
they stayed in Mazaua Island for the Holy week, and also mentioning what happen on March
31, 1521 which was Easter Sunday. But According to a Jesuit priest Meguel A. Bermard in his
work called “Butuan or Limasawa”: the Site of the First Mass in the Philippines Reexamination
of Evidence (1981) laying down arguments that in Pigafetta’s account, a crucial aspect of
Butuan was not mentioned, the river. Butuan is an riverine settlement, situated on the Agusan
River. The beach of Masao is in the delta of said river. It is curious omission that in the account
of the river, which makes part of a distinct characteristic of butuan’s geography that seemed to
be too important to be missed.

It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan’s death, the survivor of his expedition
went to Mindanao, and seemingly went to Butuan. In this instance, Pigafetta vividly describe a
trip in a river. But note that this record happened after Magellan’s death. Additionally it was the
king of Butuan, who give the supplies to the surviving soldiers in going back to Spain. And as of
now January 23 2021, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines board of
Commissioners, signed a resolution No. 2 affirming that Limasawa island was, the place where
the First Catholic Mass happened. This was to counter the growing argument that it was Masao
island in Butuan and not Limasawa. But fall short due to the lack of sufficient evidence to prove,
that it happened in Butuan, there is also no amendment of proclamation of the National
Historical Institute that says likewise. And still the decision of National Historical Institute is
absolute, until the day that Historians could have the absolute evidence to prove, that indeed
Masao Island was the place where the First Catholic Mass happened.

That is why until now there is still room for Research, for Reprove, and for Corrections, not to
mention the abundance amount of questions. To ask ourselves what really is the truth? Is the
question we must ask, but for now we wait, I am really starting to think that the sayings are
true! That there is only one History, but many Interpretations. But what’s important is that
thank you to the Spaniards who gave us Catholicism.