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Affirmative and Negative

The document discusses the debate over whether Butuan or Limasawa Island was the site of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines in 1521. The negative side argues that Butuan is not the likely site based on geography and a lack of evidence from primary sources. Specifically, they note that Butuan was a riverine settlement and the primary sources do not mention it. Meanwhile, the primary sources do describe Limasawa Island in a way that matches its location. Two expert panels in 1995 and 2008 both ruled that Limasawa Island, not Butuan, was the site of the first mass based on historical evidence and studies.

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Flora Mae Arbuyes
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995 views1 page

Affirmative and Negative

The document discusses the debate over whether Butuan or Limasawa Island was the site of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines in 1521. The negative side argues that Butuan is not the likely site based on geography and a lack of evidence from primary sources. Specifically, they note that Butuan was a riverine settlement and the primary sources do not mention it. Meanwhile, the primary sources do describe Limasawa Island in a way that matches its location. Two expert panels in 1995 and 2008 both ruled that Limasawa Island, not Butuan, was the site of the first mass based on historical evidence and studies.

Uploaded by

Flora Mae Arbuyes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

We in the affirmative side believes that the We in the negative side believe that butuan is not
evidences and arguments presented by pro- where the first mass was held because according
Butuan advocates are insufficient and convincing to the geography of butuan it was a Riverine
to warrant the repeal or reversal of the NHI settlement,situated on the agusan river. In which
(National Historical Institute), citing previous also give doubts to the claim that the first mass
rulings made by the commission's forerunner was held here. It is also notable that the other
National Historical Institute in 1995 and 2008 primary sources does not include butuan in their
affirming Limasawa as the true site of the journey and however it was limasawa that is
country's first Catholic mass. The NHCP panel written on their travelogues. In further research
looked at the Italian and French versions of of experts in different fields and in other sources,
Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta's accounts The first mass was held on 1521 Easter Sunday on
from the Magellan-Elcano expedition, which Limasawa Island. The result of the studies of the
revealed that the coordinates of the 1521 Easter experts in geology and cartography also shows
Sunday Mass were closer to Limasawa. Historians that the evidence to back up that Butuan is
use two primary sources to determine the where the first mass takes place shows doubts to
location of the first mass. One such log is that back up the claim. The NHI and NHCP through 2
kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot on one of panels of expert; the first led by former Supreme
Magellan's ships, Trinidad. Antonio Pigafetta, on CourtJustice Emilio Gancayco in 1995 and the
the other hand, is more complete. Pigafetta was second by historian Benito Legarda in 2008.
a member of Magellan's expedition and a first- Bothpanels ruled that the site of the 1521 Easter
hand witness to the events, particularly the first Sunday Mass was Limasawa Island.
mass.The location of Mazava fits the location of
Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54'N.
Albo does not mention the first mass, but only
the planting of the cross upon a mountain-top
from which three islands to the west and
southwest could be seen, which also fits the
southern end of Limasawa.

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