Scribd
Upload
66 views3 pages

Location of the First Mass in the Philippines

The document discusses the debate over where the first Catholic mass was held in the Philippines - Limasawa Island or Butuan. The author researched seven sources on the topic and found that six supported Limasawa as the location, while only one supported Butuan. Eyewitness accounts from Antonio Pigafetta and Francisco Alba, who were part of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, provide strong evidence that the first mass was held on Limasawa Island in 1521. While Butuan advocates have argued for their position, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines has determined that the evidence supporting Limasawa is more sufficient and reliable.

Uploaded by

MICKAELA YEOGE BASCO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
66 views3 pages

Location of the First Mass in the Philippines

The document discusses the debate over where the first Catholic mass was held in the Philippines - Limasawa Island or Butuan. The author researched seven sources on the topic and found that six supported Limasawa as the location, while only one supported Butuan. Eyewitness accounts from Antonio Pigafetta and Francisco Alba, who were part of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, provide strong evidence that the first mass was held on Limasawa Island in 1521. While Butuan advocates have argued for their position, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines has determined that the evidence supporting Limasawa is more sufficient and reliable.

Uploaded by

MICKAELA YEOGE BASCO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

C02 Position Paper: First Mass 7.

5%

Submitted by: Wayne Hans Camacho


I have read different preferences about the issue of where was the first mass of Father Pedro

de Valderrama was held in the Philippines. Based on the sources that I have read, Easter Sunday,

March 31, 1521, was the original date of when the first mass was held. The only conflict that the

people were arguing through generation is the location of the first mass here in the Philippines. As

a Filipino, I am also wondering where the first mass was held. Was it in Masao, Butuan, or

Limasawa?

The argument about Limasawa and Butuan has a lot of sources. As a researcher, I tried to

read seven sources and tallied each one of them to get the side they support and believe. Based on

my tally, Limasawa got six, and Butuan just got one, so it means that most of the people are on the

side of Limasawa. On the other hand, I did not just tally the sources that I have read, but I also

collected some proof and pieces of evidence from it. In the first source, there is a statement where

it says that the First Mass in The Philippines was held in Butuan, not in Limasawa, but based on

the context of the first source, the proofs, and pieces of evidence are not that reliable.

The pro - Butuan advocates did their best to defend their cause. Still, the National Historical

Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) stated that the evidence and arguments presented by the

pro-Butuan advocates are insufficient and convincing enough to warrant the National Historical

Institute's ruling to be repealed or reversed.

Based on the preferences that I have read, I am convinced now that Limasawa was the

place where the first mass was held. Antonio Pigafetta was one of the most reliable evidence for

the pro – Limasawa. Antonio Pigafetta served as Magellan's assistant. He has a map studied by a

Priest who is called Father Bernard. The priest saw that the map was placed in Mazua that was on

the tip of the larger island of Leyte. The map of Antonio Pigafetta showed that the jibe was to

Limasawa and not Butuan or Masao. Another reliable source was coming from the pilot of
Magellan's flagship, who is called Francisco Alba. He was the one who wrote about how they built

a cross on a mountain overlooking three islands to the west and southwest. Based on the authentic

account of Antonio Pigafetta, the port was in Mazua (Masawa) and not in Butuan, and James

Robertson approved that "Mazua" was actually Limasawa.

Limasawa and Butuan have different convincing sources but based on the National

Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Limasawa has more sufficient reliable sources

than the Butuan. I can tell that this argument does not end here. The historical researchers might

find something that could clearly tell which was the place where the first mass was held.

You might also like