Controversies in Philippine

History
 Activity 1

Where do you think was the first mass in the Philippines held? Support your
answer with primary sources or secondary sources.
The first Catholic mass in the Philippines was held in Limasawa, Southern Leyte on March 31, 1521, Easter
Sunday.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Limasawa
https://steemit.com/nature/@pescoeden/come-to-beautiful-
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Limasawa, island-of-limasawa-philippines
+Southern+Leyte/@9.9310127,125.0399706,13z/
data=!4m5!3m4!
1s0x33072d32faa7d527:0x4b296a34f01e9e5f!8m2!
3d9.9302782!4d125.0746026?hl=en
PRIMARY SOURCE: First Voyage Around the World (1519-1522).
About this book
On August 10, 1519, five ships departed from Seville for what
was to become the first circumnavigation of the earth. Linked
by fame to the name of its captain, Magellan, much of the
expedition is known through the travelogue of one of the few
crew members who returned to Spain, Antonio Pigafetta. A
narrative and cartographic record of the journey (including 23
hand-drawn water colour charts) from Patagonia to Indonesia,
from the Philippines to the Cape of Good Hope, Pigafetta's "The
First Voyage around the World" is a classic of discovery and
exploration literature.

https://www.bokus.com/bok/9781906421007/magellan/
 In my own opinion, the first mass was held on MARCH 31,
1521, Easter Sunday based on Antonio Pigaffeta’s account that says it
happened on that day and it was conducted by Father Pedro de Valderrama
of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition along the shores of what was referred
to in the journals of Antonio Pigaffeta as “Mazaua” or also known today as
Limasawa island, Leyte.

I’ll take this book as primary source since it is made by

Pigaffeta’s himself although it is republished now.
SECONDARY SOURCE: That ‘first mass’ in Philippines in proper context. – news.abs-cbn.com
In this website, it was posted by buddy Gomez – cyberbuddy
and posted at June19, 2021. He said that the first mass was held
on March 24, 1521. I don’t think that this is the exact date since
this is only an opinion and it is posted on website and I think
this is a proper secondary sources since this only an opinion but
on the statement on the website there’s also this one saying that
Philippine history textbook still refer to march 31, 1521 in
Limasawa as the site of “the first mass”, but many years after,
some historians began to refer to the event as “the first recorded
mass” apparently without updating the textbooks. Does not that
mean that in fact there was a first mass that went “unrecorded?”
historians tacity admint but would not say so. Why?
This opinion from the blog makes me think that this is true but I
still believe that Pigaffeta is right after all. I’ll just take this info
as my secondary source since it’s only an opinion from the blog
and from the website, but I do respect this one.
 Activity 2
Similarities and differences of different accounts and versions of first
mass in the Philippines.
 ACCOUNTS SIMILARITIES
Francisco Albo’s Account Focused on where and when the
first mass occurred. Also
mentioned about the travel of the
ship “Victoria”
Miguel Lopez De Legaspi Acount Miguel Lopez De Legaspi
similar to Albo, Legaspi focused
on pointing out the specific
location and date of the mass.
Antonio Pigafetta’s Account Pigafetta also insinuated the
location but, he was also able to
mention what were there in the
location.
DIFFERENCES
He was very specific about the
date and mentioned the
occurrence of the mass to be
between November 29, 1519 to
September 4, 1522.
Legaspi was able to say that the
mass occurred on February 13,
1564. Which was more than 20
years ahead of Albo’s claim.
Pigafetta described how the mass
began and what the mass looked
like unlike Albo and Legaspi who
only focused on the date and
location of the mass.
 ACCOUNTS SIMILARITIES
Gregorio Zaide All three, Zaide, Atkinson, and
Ford, that claimed for the mass to
have took place in Butuan have
mentioned that Magellan and his
men were the ones who first
attended the mass.
Fred Atkinson He was able to mention the
location of the first mass and who occurred on a small hill at the
attended on it.
John Ford Same on Atkinson, Ford was able
to describe the location of where
the first mass took place: north
coast of Mindanao.
DIFFERENCES
Claimed that the mass occurred at
Butuan on March 31, 1521,
opposing the previously claimed
by Albo, Legaspi, and Pigafetta
that the mass occurred in
Limasawa
He claims that the first mass
northern shore of Mindanao.
Although similar to what
Atkinson claimed, Ford
insinuated that the mass occurred
at the entrance of the Butuan
River.
 Activity 3
Do you favor the enactment of law as a means to settle the controversy
of the place where the first mass in The Philippines was held? Justify
your answer.
• Do you favor the enactment of law as a means to settle the controversy of the place
where the first mass in The Philippines was held?

• I will never be in favor of such a law which only because of

the need for an immediate answer will the government
choose only when the first mass in the Philippines actually
took place. I think it takes a lot of research and data
collection to tell when or where did the first mass take place
in the Philippines.
Controversy in Philippine
History
(Modular)
1. What is the controversy of the first mass?
• The controversies or conflict was is it Limasawa in
Southern Leyte? Or in Masao in Butuan?

https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/limasawa-island-
https://galamalayablog.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/butuancity/
confirmed-site-of-philippines-1st-holy-mass-500th-anniversary/
2. Where did the first Catholic Mass take place in the Philippines controversy?

• On June 19, 1960, Republic Act No. 2733, known as the “Limasawa
Law”, was enacted without executive approval on June 19, 1960.
The legislative fiat declared “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.
Source: https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=5328
• Today, this site is widely believed by many historians and the government to be Limasawa off
the tip of Southern Leyte. However, until at least the 19th century, the prevailing belief was that
the first mass was held in Butuan. This belief is maintained by some, who assert that the first
mass was instead held at Masao, Butuan.

• To end the conflict for the issue about the first mass, the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP) panel adapted the recommendation and unanimously agreed that the
evidence and arguments presented by the pro-Butuan advocates are not sufficient and
convincing enough to warrant the repeal or reversal of the ruling on the case by the National
Historical Institute (the NHCP's forerunner). It is further strengthen by the evidence that it was
only after 22 years, in 1543—when a Spanish expedition led by Ruy López de Villalobos
landed in Mindanao.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Mass_in_the_Philippines
3. What is the site of the first mass?

• Mazau (majority claim that is the

ISLAND of LIMAWASA in Leyte
while some claim that it is in
BUTUAN)

• The first mass was held in the

Philippines in the Butuan area which is
based on more evidence compared to
Limasawa Island was Held in March
31 1521 by Fr. Pedro De Valderrama.

https://galamalayablog.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/butuancity/
4. What is your stand about the site of the first Mass in the
Philippines?

• Limasawa is historic in that the first Christian Mass in

the Far East held by Father Pedro Valderrama was
celebrated on March 31, 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan.
On a hill on this island, a cross was raised to be seen
from afar.
• Also, Pigafetta's account is the most detailed account
of the first Mass in the Philippines. It is in his journal
entry that the first Mass was celebrated in "Mazaua"
or is now called "Limasawa."
5. Why is it important to know where the First Mass was held?

• We Filipinos need to know where the first mass

was held in the Philippines because it was in that
mass that paved the way for the spread of
Christianity not only in our country but in Asia.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!
Presented By:

Marck Joseph
Edabel Redulla

Karen May Taneo

Jose Hercer

Catherine Roquelme
Mabel Custodio

Mary Grace Bustillos

Shane Laumoc

Jessica Escal