Prepared by:

PATRICE JOY B. PINCA

Course Teacher
Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as "the
attempt to discover, on the basis of fragmentary
evidence, the significant things about the past."

"The history we read, though based on facts, is

strictly speaking, not factual at all, but a series of
accepted judgments."
Historians utilize facts collected from primary sources of history
and then draw their own reading so that their intended audience
may understand the historical event, a process that in essence,
"makes sense of the past".

Interpretations of the past, therefore, vary according to who reads

the primary source, when it was read, and how it was read.
The Code of Kalantiaw is a mythical legal
code in the epic history Maragtas. Before
it was revealed as a hoax, it was a source
of pride for the people of Aklan. In fact a
historical marker was installed in the
town of Batan, Aklan in 1956.
"Sa Aking Mga Kabata" is a poem
purpotedly written by Jose Rizal when he
was eight years old and is probably one
of Rizal's prominent works.

There is no evidence to support the claim

that this poem was written by Rizal. The
evidence against Rizal's authorship of
the poem seems all unassailable.
With several possibilities of
interpreting the past, another
important concept that we
must note is
multiperspectivity. This can
be defined as a way of looking
at historical events,
personalities, developments,
cultures, and societies from
different perspectives.
Singular historical narratives do not provide for
space to inquire and investigate.
Different historical agents create different historical
truths, and while this may be a burdensome work for
the historian, it also renders more validity to the
historical scholarship.
While many may agree that what counts is the event
and its contributions to what we are and what we
have today, history enthusiasts would continue to
seek and demand the exact narration of events to
finally put to rest these controversies.
Accounts of the historians differ as to where the holy
sacrament was celebrated by Father Pedro
Valderrana on Easter morning of March 31, 1521,
whether it was in Limasawa, Southern Leyte, or
Masao, Butuan City.
Butuan has long been believed to be the site of
the first Mass. In fact, this has been the case for
three centuries, culminating in the erection of a
monument in 1872 near Agusan River, which
commemorates the expedition’s arrival and
celebration of Mass.

While the enactment of law in 1960 has

temporarily put to rest the issue, there is a need
of careful and thorough investigation for the Magellan Marker Erected in the time of Spanish
District Gov. Jose Maria Carvallo in 1872, this edifce
people of Limasawa and the people of Butuan. located at the mouth of Agusan river in present day
One of the primary sources that historians refer to in
identifying the site of the first Mass, was that of the
account of Francisico Albo. He was the pilot of one of
Magellan's ship, Trinidad, one of the 18 survivors who
returned with Sebastian Elcano on the ship Victoria
after they circumnavigated the world.
March 1516, they sight more islands, giving names to two, Suluan and
Yunagan the first island of the archipelago of San Lazaro (the
Philippines). They land successively at the islands of Gada, Seilani and
Mazava, and pass by or anchor at Matan, Subu, Baibai. We left Subu
sailing southeast between the Cape of Subu and an island named
Bohol; and on the western side of the Cape of Subu is another island, by
name, Panilongo inhabited by blacks. This island and Subu have gold
and quantities of ginger.

Notice the word "Mazava" was the site where the expedition landed.
Early on the morning of Sunday, the last on March, and Easter day, the captain-general sent
the priest with the some men to prepare the place where mass was to be said; together with
the interpreter to tell the king that we were not going to land in order to dine with him, but
to say mass.There are dogs, cats, swine, fowls, goats, rice, ginger, cocoa-nuts, figs, (i.e,
bananas), oranges, lemons, sorgo, wax, and a quantity of gold in THAT ISLAND. It lies in
latitude of nine and two-thirds degrees toward the Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of one
hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of democratic. It is twenty-five from the
Acquada, and is called MAZAUA.

It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta's testimonies coincide and corroborate
each other. Pigafetta gave more details on what they did during their weeklong stay at
Mazaua.
Jose Arcilla, author of Introduction to "Philippine History"
maintained that Magellan never stepped on the grounds of
Butuan where the alleged first mass took place.

On march 16, 1521, Magellan reached the Philippine. In

Limasawa, the Islanders and Europeans quickly became friends.
The islanders described to the newcomers other places, like
Butuan and Calagan (Caraga), but Magellan did not go there.
In 1872, a monument to commemorate the site of the first mass on the
Philippines was erected in Butuan.

In 1953, the people in Butuan ask the Philippine Historical Committee to

rehabilitate the monument or place a marker on the site.

Gregorio Zaide a Filipino historian, author and politician from the town
of Pagsanjan, Laguna in the Philippines, claims the location of the first
mass is Butuan base on Pigafetta's acccount.

American historian Emma Helen Blair and John Alexander Robertson

claimed in 1909 that the island of Mazaua is the present island of
Limawasa but did not give explanation.
BUTUAN BALANGAY BOAT
National Museum - Balangay
Shrine, Brgy. Libertad, Butuan City,
Agusan del Norte, Philippines

Massive balangay 'mother boat'

unearthed in Butuan (Tree nails)
On June 19, 1960, Republic Act No. 2733, called the Limasawa Law was enacted
without the signature of the President of the Philippines. This law recognized
Limasawa as the site of the first mass in the Philippines. Obviously, some would
question if an act of Congress is the proper measure to correct or change our
history. Below is the text of the law.

Republic Act No. 2733

An Act to Declare the Site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the Province
of Leyte, Where the First Mass in the Philippines was Held as a National
Shrine to provide For the Preservation of Historical Monuments and
Monuments Thereat and For Other Purposes
Section 1. The site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the Province of Leyte, where the first mass
in the Philippines was held is hereby declared a national shrine to commemorate the birth of
Christianity in the Philippines.
Section 2. All historical monuments and landmarks in said site shall be preserved and/or
reconstructed whenever necessary as much as possible in their original form and are hereby
declared national historical monuments and landmarks.
Section 3. The National Planning Commission shall exercise supervision and control over the
reconstruction and/or preservation of the aforesaid site and monuments, and shall issue rules
and regulations to effectuate the preceding sections of this Act.
Section 4. Necessary funds for the purposes of this Act shall be provided for in the annual
appropriations for public works and disbursements shall be made by the National Planning
Commission under such rules and regulations as the Auditor General may prescribe.
Section 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Enacted without Executive approval on June 19, 1960