SITE OF THE F IR ST MA SS  

Module 3.1.
 ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF LIMASAWA,
SOUTHERN LEYTE 

Miguel Lopez De Legaspi and/or

Francisco Albo's Account  Hernando Riquel (Court Clerk of the
Home Office) Account 
• A journal  or log of Magallanes voyage • O Based on the May 1564 Report of the
was written by Francisco Albo, Occurrences on the Voyage and Journey
covering the voyage from Cape San of the Armada of His Majesty under the
Agustin in Brazil until the "Victoria" Command of General Miguel Lopez de
returned to Spain (Blair de Robertson, Legazpi in the Discovery of the Islands
1975)  of the West. 
Pigafetta's Account 
• In Antonio Pigafetta's account "Primo Viaggo Intorno Al Mondo" (First Voyage
Around the World) events of 1519-1522. 
Jose Arcilla, Historian
• 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. 
 ARGUMENTS IN
• Gregorio Zaide (2002) provides narration of what
FAVOR OF MASAO, transpired during the first mass in the Philippines.
BUTUAN CITY
 A C C O U N T S AT T H E E N D O F T H E 1 9 T H C E N T U RY
A ND S TA R T O F T HE 2 0 T H C E N T U RY S U P P O R T IN G
B UT U A N A S T H E S I T E O F T HE F I R S T M A S S .  

• Fred Atkinson, author of "The Philippine Islands" published in 1905. 

• John Ford , author of "Additional Pages from an American Cruiser in the  East" which was
published in 1898
• Written also in the Military Notes on the Philippines in September 1898 at the United
States Adjutant-Generals's Office recognition of Butuan as the site of the first mass in the
Philippines. 
 • On June 19, 1960, Republic Act No. 2733,
called the Limasawa Law was enacted
LIMASAWA LAW without the signature of the President of the
Philippines.