Chapter 7- The

First mass Site in

the Philippines
The First Voyage
Round the World
by Antonio
Pigafetta
Ladrone Island- 3 island
Saturday, March 16, 1521-
arrive in island named Zamal
Monday, March 18, 1521-
Cochi- fruit with palm trees
bear
Palmito- tree which liquor
comes out in drops down the
tree like white must
Sweet, bitter
Cocho- fruit of palmito-
large as head, first husk is
green
Humunu- land with two
springs
Watering Place of good
sign- very fresh water,
found first sign of gold
Archipelago of St. Lazarus-
stay and feast of St.
Lazarus, 10 degrees north
altitude and 161 degrees
longitude from line of
demarcation
March 22- schione- gold
rings suspended in ears of
these people
Caphre- people wear holes
in ears so large that they
can pass their arms through
them
March 25- Monday of
Passion week, pass in the
island of Cenalo,
Huinanghar, Ibusson,
Abarien
March 28, Thursday- saw
small boat called Boloto
Traprobana- captain’s slave
from Sumatra
Ballanghai- two long boats
Raia Calambu- painted king
of Zuluan island
Raia Siani- painted king of
Calagan island
March 31- easter, the
captain sent the chaplain to
say mass in a shore
Aba- their God
 Butuan or
Limasawa? The
Site of the First
Mass in the
Philippines: A
Reexamination of
the Evidence
Pigafetta- first mass is
celebrated on Easter
Sunday, March 31, 1521 in
an island called Mazaua
2 chieftains attend: rajah of
Mazaua, rajah of Butuan
Mazaua- little island south
of Leyte called Limasawa
and Masao at mouth of
Agusan River in northern
Mindanao, now called Butuan
City
 Butuan Tradition

Monument erected in 1872

near the mouth of Agusan
River within municipality of
Butuan but today a separate
municipality of Magallanes,
named after Ferdinand
Magellen
Monument is a brick pillar
with marble slab
To the Immortal Magellan:
The People of Butuan with
their Parish Priest and the
Spaniards therein,
commemorate his arrival
and First Mass celebration
on this site on April 8,1521
Erected in 1872 under District
Governor Jose Ma. Carvallo
April 8, 1521- an error or
clumsy attempt to translate
the original date in terms of
Gregorian calendar
 17th Century

Father Francisco Colin S.J-

one of Jesuit historian,
Labor Evangelica publish in
Madrid in 1663
Labor Evangelica- 3 volume
edition annotated by Fr.
Pablo Pastells S.J
Colin’s account on
Magellan’s arrival: 15
degrees North Latitude they
come in 2 islands name: Las
Velas (the Sails)
12 degrees North- they come
in Ladrones Island (Marianas
Island)
Few days- they saw Ibabao
Island (Samar)
Humunu- first island they
touch, small uninhabited
island near Guiuan Point
Buenas Senas- they name the
other islets
San Lazaro- name of the
whole archipelago, Saturday
of Saint Lazarus Sunday in
Lent in 1521
Easter Sunday- in territory of
Butuan, the first mass is
offered and a cross planted
then Magellan took formal
possession of the island
Important thing in Colin’s
account- he represents the
first mass and the solemn
Planting of the cross and the
formal possession of the island
Fr. Francisco Combes S.J-
other Jesuit writer, wrote
Historia de Mindanao y Jolo
Fr. Combes Account

Admiral Alonso de Magallanes-

discover the archipelago
Enter Strait of Siargao, Leyte,
landing in Limasaua
3 powerful nations among
Pintados (Visayans)-Caraga,
Samar, Zebu
Zebu- near to them, they
pass between Bool and Leyte
and Camotes Island and reach
Mandawe on April 7, 1521
Colin and Combes compared
 Magellan visit both
Limasaua and Butuan
 From Limasaua Magellan’s
expedition went to Cebu
 18th Century

Colin: Mindanao- largest

island in size
Danao- means lake
Maguindanao- place and
dwellers of lake
Caraga- 1st province that
Faces the sea across New
Spain (Mexico)
Did not say Magellan
sighted Cape of San Agustin
(where Caraga begin) but
Magellan enter Philippine
near Samar landing first at
Homonhon
Fray Juan de la Concepcion-
One historians who made error
14 volume of History of the
Philippines is publish in Manila
He account that Magellan left
island las Velas Latinas or the
Archipelago of San Lazaro
Magellan also name Marianas
Island, first saw cape of San
Agustin, sailed in Caraga,
entered Siargao and landed
in island of Limasawa
He think Las Velas, Marianas
Island and Archipelago of
San Lazaro were the same
 19th Century

Fr. Joaquin Martinez de

Zuniga- accept the Butuan
tradition
Easter Sunday 1521-
Magellan is in Butuan,
ordered mass and plant a
Cross on a hill rock near the
beach
John Foreman- March
16,1521, Magellan reached
the Ladrones Island and
arrive at mouth of Butuan
River
 Shift in Opinion

Due to rediscovery and

attentive study of 2 primary
sources namely: Pigafetts’s
account and Albo’s log
 The Evidence for Limasawa

1. Alba’s Log Book

2. Pigafetta’s Evidence
a. Testimony regarding the
route
b. Pigafetta’s map
c. 2 native kings
d. 7 days at Mazaua
e. Argument from omission
3. Summary of evidence of
Albo and Pigafetta
4. Confirmatory evidence
from Legazpi expedition
 Evidence of Albo’s Log Book

Francisco Albo join

Magellan expedition as pilot
in flagship” Trinidad”
One of the 18 survivors of
Sebastian Elcano “Victoria”
Keep diary- a log book
March 16, 1521- sailed from
Ladrones and saw land name
Yunagan
Went to other island named
Suluan
They got wood and water in
Gada ( Pigafetta’s account it
was Homonhon)
They sailed at Seilani,
Pigafetta call it Ceylon-was
Island of Leyte
Turn to small island
Mazava, they plant a cross
on mountain-top
They see 3 island and they
enter a channel between 2
island name Matan and Subu
Subu- enter a peace-pact
with local king
 Evidence from Pigafetta

Most complete account of

Magellan’s expedition
Eyewitness of principal events
First mass- Philippine
Archipelago, Island of Saint
Lazarus
 Pigafetta’s Testimony
Regarding the Route
March 16,1521- Saturday-
Magellan sighted high land
named Zamal
March 17,1521- landed to
island Humunu (Homonhon);
named the archipelago Island
of Saint Lazarus, Sunday
In Lenten season when gospel
assign was 11th chapter of St.
John, raising of Lazarus from
the dead
March 18, Monday- stay 4
days in that island,
Homonhon was name
Watering Place of Good
Omen
 March 22, Friday- 8 days in
In Homonhon, March 17-25
March 25, Monday- left
Homonhon, feast of
Incarnation, feast of
Annunciation, Our Lady’s
Day
4 islands after Homonhon
are:
1. Cenalo- Ceilon
2. Huinanghan- Hinunangan,
mainland of Leyte
3. Ibusson- east of Leyte
4. Albarien
March 28,Thursday- Mazaua
island
April 4, Thursday- left
Mazaua, bound for Cebu, 5
past island are Ceylon,
Bohol, Canighan, Baibai,
Gatighan
Canighan- southwest of Leyte
Camotes Group- Poro,
Pasihan, Pozon
Sunday, April 7- enter Zubu
or Cebu
Summary of Evidence of Albo
and Pigafetta
Magellan enter in Samar and
dropped at Homonhon
Mazaua- south of Leyte
Sails in Canigao Channel
between Bohol and Leyte
Magellan did not go to Butuan
 Importance of Butuan

First place in Mindanao

where Christian mission was
establish
 Butuan Monument

1872- monument erected at

Magallanes near Butuan
1953- petition submitted at
National Historical Commission
for rehabilitation and re-
erected of Butuan Monument
Luis Montilla- chairman of
National Historical
Commission