“FIRST MASS SITE

IN THE PHILIPPINES”

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--------- CONTENTS ----------
PRO
INTRODUCTIO LIMASAWAN’S
01 N 03 CLAIMS AND
EVIDENCES
PRO BUTUAN’S
02 CLAIMS 04
CONCLUSIO
N
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INTRODUCTION

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 The first Holy Mass is commonly
associated with the arrival of Christianity to
Philippine coasts. However, for decades,
countless Filipinos, including top
professionals in education, history, religion,
politics, and other fields, have debated the
exact location of the 'First Mass' on Easter
Sunday.
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 It is also mentioned that the place where it
was held is in the island called “Mazaua”,
that believed to be Limasawa in Leyte.
However, there were some claims that stated
that it was also the place of the first Catholic
Mass and it happens somewhere in Masao
Island in Butuan.

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 But despite having two opposing ideas to
choose to believe from, basing from the
information and evidences from the sources
provided by our professor, we affirm that
the first mass in the Philippines was held in
Limasawa.

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 BODY 1.1:
PRO BUTUAN’S
CLAIMS
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 PRO BUTUAN’S CLAIM
PLANTING OF THE THE PRESENCE
CROSS LOCATION
OF RAJA SIAGU
● Erection of ● The possession of
monument in ● The presence of gold artifacts in
1872 near Agusan Butuan’s King in Butuan
River which the first mass ● Pigafetta mentioned
commemorates ● King of Butuan the ‘tip of the river’
the expeditions which Butuan known
who provided as the riverine
mass that stated
in Albo’s account. them food and settlement situated in
supplies Agusan River

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 BODY 1.2:
PRO LIMASAWAN’S
CLAIMS AND
EVIDENCES
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 ANTONIO
PIGAFETTA
--- First Voyage Expedition ---

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 --- FIRST VOYAGE EVIDENCES ---
ROUTE AND CHART OF
“MAZAUA”
● Mazaua’s location is similar to what Albo Stated.
● The absence of a reference to the river that runs through Mazaua Island, as
well as topographical evidence that the first mass was held in Limasawa.
● It was concluded that the entrance of their voyage was from the Eastern part
of the Philippines and to the direction of Pacific Ocean.
● Magellan stayed in Mazaua Island for 7 days or during the Holy week and
then travel to Cebu where the first baptism occurs and where Magellan got
killed in Mactan and the voyage never passed Butuan

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 ---MAGELLAN’S ROUTE ---
● 10 Degrees ● Magellan
North Latitude
MARCH 16, ● ‘Watering place MARCH 28, meeted Raja
1521 of Good Omen’ 1521 Humabon
SATURDAY THURSDAY
ARRIVED IN LEFT MAZAUA
“HUMONHON BOUND TO
CEBU
SIGHTED HIGH ARRIVED IN
LAND NAMED “MAZAUA”
‘ZAMAL” ● First mass was sited
● Magellan named the
MARCH 17, APRIL 4, 1521
entire archipelago by March 31
1521 THURDAY
● Stayed in 7 days/
the "Islands of Saint SUNDAY
during Holy Week 12
 ---SEVEN DAY ACTIVITY IN MAZAUA---
• Thursday, March 28 (Holy Thursday) – arrived in Mazaua, An exchange
of gifts was affected

• Friday, March 29 (Holy Friday) – Magellan asked the kings for to provide
their expedition with food supplies. Pigafetta and his companion had spent
the previous evening feasting and drinking with the native king and his son

• Saturday, March 30 - Pigafetta and his companion took leave of their hosts
and returned to the ships.

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 ---SEVEN DAY ACTIVITY IN MAZAUA---
• Sunday, March 31- “Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter
Day,” a mass was celebrated.

• Monday, April 1 - Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work
was done that day because two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night
before.

• Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3 – Work on the harvest during the “next
two days,”

• Thursday, April 4 - They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.

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FRANCISCO
ALBO
----- Log Book -----

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 ---ALBO’S LOG
GEOGRAPHIC EVIDENCES ---
PLANTING OF THE CROSS
LOCATION ● They turned south west to "Mazava", a
● The location of latitude of 9 and 2/3° North where Spaniards
Mazava fits the planted a cross upon a mountain-top.
location of the ● Albo does not mention the first mass, but
island of only the planting of the cross upon a
Limasawa, at the mountain-top from which could be seen
Southern tip of three islands to the west and southwest,
which also fits the southern end of Limasawa.
Leyte, 9o 54’
North.
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 FR. BERNAD MIGUEL
“Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines:
---------- A Reexamination of the Evidence” -----------

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 BERNAD’S ARTICLE EVIDENCES ---
--- GEOGRAPHIC
LOCATION BERNAD’S CONCLUSION
● Bernad's article would stick to
● The first mass site was near
what is proven to be true by the
the sea, and not in river
● Therefore Albo’s account fit most reliable source available.
to the location of Limasawa ● He came to the conclusion that
which was in Island in the
Magellan and his companions
Southern tip of Leyte and not
in a riverine where Butuan is landed and held the Mass in
located Limasawa, Southern Leyte.

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CONCLUSION

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 Republic Act No. 2733
often known as the Limasawa Law
was passed without the permission of the Executive on June 19, 1960
The spot in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the Province of Leyte,
where the first Mass in the Philippines was held, was also named a
national shrine to commemorate the birth of Christianity in the
Philippines
According to the legislative act. Similarly, Limasawa Island is said to
be the pilgrimage location of the first Catholic mass in Asia, which
was celebrated on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, by Father Pedro de
Valderrama under Ferdinand Magellan's armada.

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● The insufficient claims and evidences of the pro-Butuan
group lead the NHCP to dismiss their appeal and
claims.
Meanwhile, the pro-Limasawa group provided the panel
coordinates of Mazaua given by the eyewitnesses,
studies Magellan–Elcano expedition using modern
navigational instruments, and the copies of Pigafetta's
original accounts.
And it reaffirmed “Limasawa” as the site of the first
Easter Sunday Mass in the country.
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● But there is still room for research to find evidences that can
finally concluded what really happened in the first mass
sited.
However all of this will only serve as an additional
information and good for historical discussion but it doesn’t
change the way how Filipinos build their faith up until now
in present time.
Since the thing that matters the most is that we as a
Filipinos, we are able to know Jesus Christ after hearing the
gospel of Christianity and how it impacts our lives and how
this said religion forms our culture.
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