BUTUA

N
TRADITIONS
 BUTUAN
First evidence Second evidence
- Diary of Antonio Pigafetta and -The expedition traveled 20 to 25
the Chronicles of Magellan’s leagues from Homonhon, the first
Voyage landing point.
Third evidence
-The distance to Cebu from Mazaua
according to Pigafetta was 35 leagues [140
miles]. The distance from Limasawa to Cebu
is only 80 miles.
Fourth evidence
- It was mentioned that the king came to
their ship in a balanghai. Butuan is now the
site of at least nine excavated balanghai
relics; by contrast, Limasawa has no
significant archeological relics or balanghai
tradition.
Fifth evidence
THE EVIDENCE
OFLIMASAWA
 LIMASAWA
01 02

The Evidence The

of Albo`s Evidences
Log- book of Pigafetta
LIMASAWA
03

Evidence
of Legazpi

Expedition
ALBO`S LOG
BOOK
 The Evidence of
Albo`s Log-
•
• bookfor Log-Book
Written by Francisco Albo in 1519-1522
“A Derrotero” Spanish
• Albo joined the Magellan expedition as a pilot
in
Magellan’s flag ship “ Trinidad”
• One of the eighteen survivors who returned
with Sebastian Elcano on the “ Victoria”
• Began keeping his own diary which is the log
book
throughout the voyage
 Albo’s account of entry into
the Philippines
• March 16, 1521 sailed in a westerly course from the Ladrones
and saw land towards the northwest; but there is to many
shallow places that they did not approach it and later they
found the name which is Yunagan.
• They went instead southwards on that same day on a small
island called Suluan and that’s where they anchored. They
saw a canoes but fled at the Spaniard’s approach. The island
was at 9 and two- thirds degrees north latitude.
• Departing from those two island they sailed westward to an
uninhabited island of “Gada” where they took in a supply of
water and wood. The sea of the island was free from the
shallows.
• From that island they sailed towards a large island named
Seilani.
• Sailing southwards along the cost of Seileni they turned
southwest
 Albo’s account of entry into
the Philippines
• The people of Mazava were very good. The Spaniards planted a cross
upon a mountain top and from there they were shown three islands
to the west and southwest where they were told there was much
gold.
• From the small island of Mazava they sailed northwards again
towards Seilani. They followed to the coast of Seilani in a
northwesterly direction which is ascending up to 10 degrees of
latitude where they saw the three small island.
• From there they sailed westwards some ten leagues and there they
saw islets and dropped the anchor for the night. In the morning they
sailed southwest some 12 leagues down to a latitude of 10 and one-
third degree. They entered a channel between two islands, one is
“Matan” and the other is “Subu”.
• Sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at
the town of Subu where they stayed many days, obtained provisions
and entered into a peace-pact with the local king.
• The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of
Suluan and Mazava.
 Albo’s
• The island ofTSeilani
estimonywhich they coasted is
the island of Leyte.
• Mazava lies at a latitude of 9 and two-
thirds
degrees north.
• Fits the location of the small island
of Limawasa south of Leyte. The
island’s southern tip is at 90 54’ N.
• The planting of the cross upon the
mountain top where the three small
islands can be seen also fits the southern
end of Limasawa.
PIGAFETTA
 Evidence from
• Pigafetta
“Primo viaggio intorno al mondo” the most
complete account of the Magellan
expedition.
• Written by Antonio Pigafetta in 1969
• He was also a member of the expedition
and an eyewitness of the principal events
including the first Mass which is now
known as the Philippine Archipelago.
• The pertinent section in Pigafetta’s account
is that he narrates the events from 16th of
March to 7th of April.
 Pigafetta’s Testimony Regarding the
•
Route
Saturday 16 March 1521- Magellan’s expedition sighted a
“high land” named “Zamal” which was some 300 leagues
westward of Ladrones Island.
• Sunday, March 17- after sighting Zamal Island they landed on
“another island which was uninhabited” and which lay “to the
right” of above-mentioned island of “Zamal”. Set up two tents
for the sick crew and killed a sow for them. The island was
named “Humumu” and located at 10 degrees North latitude.
• On the same day Magellan named the entire archipelago the
“island of Saint Lazarus” because it was the Sunday 7 in the Lenten
season when the Gospel assigned for the Mass and liturgical
Office was the eleventh chapter of St. John which tells the
raising of Lazarus form the dead.
• Monday, 18 March- In the afternoon of their second day they
saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in it. Magellan
asked for food supplies and the men went away promising to
bring rice and other supplies in “four days”.
 Pigafetta’s Testimony Regarding the
•
Route
Saturday 16 March 1521- Magellan’s expedition sighted
a “high land” named “Zamal” which was some 300
leagues westward of Ladrones Island.
• Sunday, March 17- after sighting Zamal Island they
landed on “another island which was uninhabited” and
which lay “to the right” of above-mentioned island of
“Zamal”. Set up two tents for the sick crew and killed a
sow for them. The island was named “Humumu” and
located at 10 degrees North latitude.
• On the same day Magellan named the entire
archipelago the “island of Saint Lazarus” because it was
the Sunday 7 in the Lenten season when the Gospel
assigned for the Mass and liturgical Office was the
eleventh chapter of St. John which tells the raising of
Lazarus form the dead.
 Pigafetta’s Testimony Regarding the
Route
Monday, 18 March- In the afternoon of their second
day they saw a boat coming towards them with nine
men in it. Magellan asked for food supplies and the
men went away promising to bring rice and other
supplies in “four days”.
There were two springs of water on that island of
Homonhon. They saw some indications that there was
gold in these islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the
island and called it “ Acquada de di buoni segnialli”.
Friday 22 March- At noon the natives returned. There
were two boats and they brought food supplies.
Magellan’s expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon:
from Sunday 17 March to the Monday of the following
week 25 March.
 Pigafetta’s Testimony Regarding the
Route
They remained seven days on Mazaua Island.
Thursday 4 April- left Mazaua bound for Cebu. Guided by
thither king of Mazaua who sailed on his own boat. Their
route took them past five island namely: Ceylon, Bohol,
Canighan, Baibai and Gatighan. Pigafetta bought that Ceylon
and Baibai were Separate Island but actually they were parts
of the same island of Leyte.
At Gitighan they sailed westward to the three islands of the
Camotes Group namely: Poro, Pasihan and Ponson. Spanish
ships stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch up with
them.
From Camotes Islands they sailed (southwestward) towars
“Zubu” Sunday 7 April- at noon they entered the harbor of
“Zubu”. Taken them three days to negotiate the journey from
Mazaua northwards to the Camotes Islands and then
southwards to Cebu.
Pigafetta’s
Map
 The evidence of Pigafetta’s
• One Map
such map shows Irge Islands and the smaller
islands of Suluan, Abarien, Hiunangan and “Humunu”
which is also describe as “Aguada ly boni segnaly”.
• A second map is a double map. One map shows the island
of Mindanao and Maguindanao. It show the northern shore
deep indentation which is recognizably Panguil Bay. To the
west is “Cippit” and to the extreme east bordering on the
Pacific are Butuan, Calagan and Benasan. The other map
shows the southern tip of Zamboanga, the islands of
Basilan, and the Sulu archipelago.
• A third map shows the island of Mazaua in relation to the
“islands” of “celion” and “Baibai” and to those of Bohol,
Gatighan and three islands of Camotes group.
• Mazaua is a small island which lies off the southwestern
tip of the lager island of Ceilon and is to the east island
of Bohol.
• The island of Mazaua in Pigafetta’s map therefore lies in a
position roughly equivalent to the actual position og the
island of Limasawa.
 The evidence of Pigafetta’s
• In Map
no way can Mizaua be identified with Butuan
which is situated in another and much larger island
(now called Mindanao) the same island in which
“Calagan”, “Cippit”,
and “Mamgdanao” (Maguindanao) are also located

. The Two Kings

•There is confirmatory evidence in the presence of two

native “kings” or rajahs at Mazaua during Magellan’s
visit.

• One was “king” of Mazaua who later guided

the Magellan expedition to Cebu.

•Other “king” was a relative who is the king or

rajah of
Butuan
An argument
from
Omission
 An argument from
Omission
-
Butuan is a riverine settlement. It
• is situated on the Agusan River.
• 40 years later members of Legaspi’s
expedition visited Butuan and the
river anchorage forms a very
important part of their account.
• The fact that there is no mention of
the river is a significant fact in
Pigafetta’s account of their seven-
day stay at “Mazaua”.
• Mazaua was an island surrounded
by the sea not a river delta.
Summary of the
Evidence of
Albo and
Pigafetta
 Summary of the Evidence of Albo and
Pigafetta
• - Magellan’s expedition entered Philippine waters
south of the island of Samar and dropped anchor at
Homonhon where they stayed a week. Then they
sailed westward towards Leyte and then southwards
parallel to the eastern coast of that island and that of
the adjoining island of Panaon. Rounding the
southern tip of the latter they anchored of the
eastern shore of a small island called Mazaua. There
they stayed a week during which on Easter Sunday
they celebrated Mass and planted the cross on the
summit of the highest hill.
• The island of Mazaua lies at a latitude of nine and
two-thirds degree north. Its position (south of Leyte)
and its latitude correspond to the position and
latitude of the island of Limasawa whose southern
tip lies at 9 degrees and 54 minutes north.
 Summary of the Evidence of Albo and
•- Pigafetta
From Mazaua the expedition sailed
northwestwards through the Canigao
channel between Bohol and Leyte then
northwards parallel to the eastern coast
of this latter island then they sailed
westward to the Camotes Group and
from there southwestwards to Cebu.
• At no point in that itinerary did the
Magellan expedition go to Butuan or
any other point on the Minadanao
coast. The survivors of the expedition
did go to Mindanao later but after
Magellan’s death.
THE
LEGASPI
EXPEDITION
 The Legaspi
Expedition
• - There is confirmatory evidence from the documents
of the Legazpi expedition which sailed ino Philippine
waters in 1565 forty-four years after Magellan.
• Legazpi and his pilots quired about “Mazaua” from
Camotuan and his companions native of the village
of Cabalian at the southeastern end of the island
of Leyte.
• Guided by natives the Legazpi ships rounded the
island of “Panae” which was separated from Leyte
by a narrow strait and anchored off “Mazaua”
• From Mazaua they went to Camiguing and from
there they intended to go to Buruan on the island
of “Vindanao” but were driven instead by contrary
winds to Bohol.
• As pilots of Legazpi expedition understood it
Mazaua was an island near Leyte and Panaon;
Butuan was on the island of Minadanao. The two
were entirely different places and in no wise
identical.