Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines in 1521, bringing faith with him.

That year, the

country celebrated its first Easter Mass, establishing Catholicism. Those who support Butuan as

the site of the first Easter Mass have produced historical evidence such as The presence of

Christianity in the area is demonstrated by Francisco Combés' "Historia de las Islas de

Mindanao, Iolo y sus adyacentes," which suggests that Butuan may have had a Christian

population before Magellan's arrival. This study challenges the notion that Butuan became

Christian due to the first Mass, making the case for Butuan to have hosted the first Easter Mass

stronger. Supporters contend that Butuan was the ideal location for the first Easter Mass because

of its prominence as a well-known trade and cross-cultural exchange centre. Butuan's strong

regional industry and its population of native elites may have contributed to the spread of

Christianity, making it a potential site for the first Mass. Atega emphasized how crucial it was to

ascertain the longitude of the first Mass. He traced the Magellan expedition's path, utilizing

historical sources, and concluded that Butuan was the location of the Mass after discovering

allusions to a longitude of 93/4 degrees latitude in other sources. Although .e panel

acknowledged Atega's contributions, it pointed out that the nautical coordinates utilized in the

Age of Exploration were estimates, making them "vague and inaccurate" for longitudinal

measurements. (Limasawa, Site of First Mass in PH - World Mission Magazine, n.d.) at

"Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas 1565-1615," Gaspar de San Agustin's report of Miguel Lopez

de Legazpi's journey, the explorer hailed Magellan's achievements at Butuan, 44 years after the

explorer's death in Mactan.

The three incidents at Limasawa that Dr Potenciano R. Malvar asserted were explained as

follows: The ships fired all of the artillery immediately as the remains of Jesus appeared. Despite

suggesting it was provided from the shore. Even with firearms making this unattainable in
Limasawa because of the seven hundred meter separation between the expedition's temple and

getting. This is what Pigafetta claimed, but the Gancayco report disregarded it. Ferdinand

Magellan raised the First Cross on a hill not far from the beach, and the first Mass ever said on

these islands was held in Butuan during Easter. Although Limasawa and Butuan have historical

and contextual elements that support their positions when evaluating the arguments, Orejas

(2020) claims that Butuan appears in the identical recount and was characterized by Masagua

present as a town located on the east in an entry point for the ships on the west side of the island.

Limasawa's accessibility and Pigafetta's extensive observations are critical points in favour of

this site. However, there are compelling reasons to choose Butuan as a possibility, such as its

pre-existing Christian population and its importance as a hub for central commerce. Due to a lack

of solid evidence and the limitations of the currently accessible historical sources, the Limasawa

vs. Butuan debate cannot be resolved in a definite manner. A thorough investigation, including

archaeological digs and discovering more sources, might be required to shed more light on this

historical puzzle.