CASE STUDY 1:

Where Did the First

Catholic Mass in the
Philippines Take Place?
Presented by: Group 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CASE
01 ABSTRACT
PRESENTATION 04

02 INTRODUCTION CONCLUSION 05

03 MAIN PROBLEM DISCUSSION 06

01 ABSTRACT
In this case study, a discussion regarding where the first
Catholic mass in the Philippines took place will be
exercised through the utilization of evidence and
interpretation in reading relevant primary sources to
come to a collective conclusion formed by the group
conducting the case study.
02 INTRODUCTION

Age of Exploration (Approx. 15th to 17th Century)

The Age of Exploration is a period of competition among European rulers to

conquer and colonize lands outside their original domains.

 Initially, the goal was to find alternative routes by sea to get to Asia, the
main source of spices and other commodities.

 Existing routes to Asia were mainly by land and cost very expensive. A sea
route to Asia means that Europeans could access the spice trade directly,
greatly reducing costs for traders.
02 INTRODUCTION

Spain's major foray into the exploration was through Christopher Columbus,
who proposed to sail westward to find a shortcut to Asia.

 Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the

Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish-based voyages across the
Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for
the widespread European exploration and European colonization of the
Americas.

 He was able to reach the Americas, which was then cut-off from the rest of
the known world. Spain colonized parts of North America, Mexico, and
South America in the sixteenth century. They were also able to reach the
Philippines and claim it for the Spanish crown. Later on, other European
rules would compete with the activities of exploring and conquering lands.
02 INTRODUCTION

The popularity of knowing where the "firsts" happened in history has been an easy
way to trivialize history, but this case study will not focus on the significance (or
lack thereof) of the site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines, but rather,
use it as a historiographical exercise in the utilization of evidence and
interpretation in reading historical events.
 Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass. In fact, this has
been the case for three centuries, culminating in the erection of a monument in
1872 near Agusan River, which commemorates the expedition's arrival and
celebration of Mass on April 1521.

 The Butuan claim has been based on a rather elementary reading of primary
sources from the event.
02 INTRODUCTION

Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the start of  The log kept by Francisco Albo (right), one of the pilots
the twentieth century, together with the increasing of one of Magellan’s ship, Trinidad. He was one of the 18
scholarship on the history of the Philippines, a more survivors who returned with Sebastian Elcano in the ship
nuanced reading of the available evidence was made,
Victoria after they circumnavigated the world.
which brought to light more considerations in going
against the more accepted interpretation of the first Mass in
the Philippines, made both by Spanish and Filipino  The more complete account by Antonio Pigafetta (left).
scholars. Primo Viaggio Intorno al Mondo, (The Voyage Around the
It must be noted that there are only 2 primary sources that World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a member of the
historians refer to an identifying the site of the mass. Magellan expedition and an eyewitness of the event,
particularly, of the Mass.
03 MAIN PROBLEM OF THE CASE STUDY

The main issues surrounding the case study “Where Did the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines Take Place?”
are primarily about the location and historical accuracy of the event.
 Limasawa vs. Butuan

- The first documented Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday. 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 Pigafetta as “Mazaua”, which is believed to Limasawa
off the tip of Southern Leyte. However, there is a prevailing belief 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.

- There is a conflict on the identity of the place which Pigafetta calls “Mazaua” in which identity it
pertains 1) little island in the south of Leyte which in the maps called “Limawasa”, or 2) a beach called
Masao at the mouth of the Agusan River in Northern Mindanao in the city of Butuan.
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Albo's Log

Francisco Albo, born on the Greek island Chios, but living in Rhodes, was part of the 1519 expedition. He was part of Ferdinand
Magellan’s crew during the voyage as boatswain of the Trinidad, but had become pilot of the Victoria by the time the expedition
returned in 1522.
Source: "Diario ó derotero del viage de Magallanes desde el cabo, S. Agustín en el Brazil hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao escrito por Frandsco Albo," Document no. xxii in Colleción de viage descubrimientos que hicieron
por mar los Españoles desde fines del sig 1945 XV, Ed. Martin Fernandez de Navarrete (reprinted Buenos Aires Vols.) IV, 191-225. As cited in Miguel A. Bernad "Butuan or The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines
Reexamination Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A Journal of Southern Philippines, VIII, 1-35.

1. On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly from Ladrones, they saw land towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow
places they did not approach it. They found late that its name was Yunagan (identified Southern Leyte).

2. They went instead that same day southwards to another small island named Suluan, and there they anchored. There they saw some canoes
but these fled at the Spaniards' approach. This island was at 9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude.

3. Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited island of "Gada" where they took in a supply of wood and water.
The sea around that island was free from shallows, (Albo does not give the latitude of this island, but from Pigafetta's testimony, this seems
to be the "Acquada" or Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.)

4. From that island they sailed westwards towards a large island names Seilani that was inhabited and was known to have gold. was the
island of (Seilani or, as Pigafetta calls it, "Ceylon" Leyte.)
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Albo's Log

5. Sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small island called "Mazava." That island is
also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.

6. The people of that island of Mazava were very good. There 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. "They showed us how the gold was gathered,
which came in small pieces like peas and lentils."

7. From Mazava they sailed northwards again towards Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in a northwesterly direction, ascending up
to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small islands.

8. From there they sailed westwards some ten leagues, and there they saw three islets, where they dropped anchor for the night. In the
morning, they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to a latitude of 10 and one-third degree. There they entered a channel between two
islands, one of which was called "Matan" and the other "Subu."

9. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town (la villa) of Subu where they stayed many days and
obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact with the local king.

10. The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of Suluan and Mazava. But between Mazava and Subu, there were so
many shallows that the boats could not go westward directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-about way.
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Albo's Log

It must be noted that in Albo's account, the location of Mazava fits the location of
the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54'N. Also, Albo does not
mention the first Mass, but only the planting of the cross upon a mountain-top
from which could be seen three islands to the west and southwest, which also fits
the southern end of Limasawa. It does not suits the coast of Butuan from which
no islands could be seen to the south or the southwest, but only towards the north.
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan's Expedition

Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, Vols. 33 and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernad, "Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines:
A Reexamination of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. III, 1–35.

1. Saturday, 16 March 1521 - Magellan's expedition sighted a "high land" named "Zamal" which was some 300 leagues westward of
Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.

2. Sunday, March 17 - "The following day" after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on "another island which was uninhabited" and which
lay "to the right" of the above-mentioned island of "Zamal." (To the "right" here would mean on their starboard going south or southwest.)
There they set up two tents for the sick members of the crew and had a sow killed for them. The name of this island was "Humunu"
(Homonhon). This island was located at 10 North latitude.

3. On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the archipelago the "Islands of Saint Lazarus," the reason being it was Sunday in
the Lenten season when the Gospel, the Mass, and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter. John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus
from the dead.

4. Monday, March 18 - In the afternoon of their second day island, they saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in it. An exchange of
gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food s and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other in "four days.“

5. There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon islands. Also they saw there some indications that there was gold in these
islands. Consequently, Magellan renamed the island and called it in the "Watering Place of Good Omen.”
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan's Expedition

6. Friday, March 22 - At noon the natives returned. This time they were in two boats, and they brought food supplies.

7. Magellan's expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday of the following week, March 25.

8. Monday, March 25 - In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this
day (March 25) was the feast-day of the Incarnation, also called the feast of the Annunciation and therefore "Our Lady's Day." On this day, as
they were about to weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed his narrow escape
from death as grace obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast-day.

9. The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was "toward the west southwest, between four islands: namely, Cenalo,
Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien." Very probably "Cenalo" is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map calls
"Ceilon" and Albo calls "Seilani": namely the island of Leyte "Hiunanghan" (a misspelling of Hinunangan) seemed to Pigafetta to be a
separate island, but is actually on the mainland of Leyte (i.e., "Ceylon"). On the other hand, Hibuson (Pigafetta's Ibusson) is an island east of
Leyte's southern tip. Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing "toward the west southwest" past those islands. They left
Homonhon sailing westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southward, passing between the island of Hibuson on their
portside and Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and then continued southward, then turning westward to "Mazaua."
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan's Expedition

10. Thursday, March 28 - In the morning of Holy Thursday, March 28, they anchored off an island where the previous night they had seen a
light or a bonfire. That island "lies in a latitude of nine and two-thirds towards the Arctic Pole (i.e., North) and in a longitude of one hundred
and sixty-two degrees from the line of demarcation. It is twenty-five leagues from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua."

11. They remained seven days on Mazaua Island.

12. Thursday, April 4 - They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu. They were guided thither by the king of Mazaua who sailed in his own boat. Their
route took them past five "islands" namely: "Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatighan.“

13. At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the three islands of the Camotes Group, namely, Poro, Pasihan and Ponson. Here the Spanish ships
stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch up with them, since the Spanish ships were much faster than the native balanghai-a thing that
excited the admiration of the king of Mazaua.

14. From the Camotes Islands they sailed southwards towards "Zubu."

15. Sunday, April 7 - At noon they entered the harbor of "Zubu" (Cebu). It had taken them three days to negotiate the journey from Mazaua
northwards to the Camotes Islands and then southwards to Cebu.

It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta's testimonies coincide and corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave more
details on what they did during their weeklong stay at Mazaua.
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua

Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, Vols. 33 and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernad, "Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines:
A Reexamination of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. III, 1–35.

1. Thursday, March 28 - In the morning they anchored near an island (boloto trinkets as where they had seen a light the night before a small
boat came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger boats
(balanghai) came, in one of which the native king sat under went up the Spanish ship, but the native king remained seated in an awning of
mats. At Magellan's invitation some of the natives went up the Spanish ship, but the native king remained seated in his boat. An exchange of
gifts was effected. the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to shore, his boat. In the afternoon that anchoring near the native king's
village. This Thursday, March 28, was Thursday in Holy Week, i.e., Holy Thursday.

2. Friday, March 29 - "Next day. Holy Friday," Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he could provide
the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they had come as friends and not as enemies. In reply the king himself came in a boat with
six or eight men, and this time went up Magellan's ship and the two men embraced. Another exchange of gifts was made. The native king and
his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of Magellan's expedition as guests for the night. One of the two was
Pigafetta.

3. Saturday, March 30 - Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and drinking with the native king and his son.
Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good Friday, they had to eat meat. The following morning (Saturday) Pigafetta and his
companion took leave of their hosts and returned to the ships.
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua

4. Sunday, March 31 - "Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter day," Magellan sent the priest ashore with
some men to prepare for the Mass. Later in the morning Magellan landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after
which a cross was venerated. Magellan and the Spaniards returned to the ship for the noon-day meal, but in the afternoon, they
returned ashore to plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill. In attendance both at the Mass and at the planting of the cross
were the king of Mazaua and the king of Butuan.
5. Sunday, March 31 - On that same afternoon, while on the summit of the highest hill, Magellan asked the two kings which ports
he should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of food than were available in that island. They replied that there were
three ports to choose from: Ceylon, Zubu, and Calagan. Of the three, Zubu was the port with the most trade. Magellan then said
that he wished to go to Zubu and to depart the following morning. He asked for someone to guide him thither. The kings replied
that the pilots would be available "any time." But later that evening the king of Mazaua changed his mind and said that he would
himself conduct Magellan to Zubu but that he would first have to bring the harvest in. He asked Magellan to send him men to help
with the harvest.
6. Monday, April 1 – Magellan sent men to ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that day because the two kings
were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.
04 CASE PRESENTATION

Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua

7. Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3 - Work on the harvest during the "next to days," i.e., Tuesday and Wednesday, the 2nd
and 3rd of April.
8. Thursday, April 4 - They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.
Using the primary sources available, Filipino Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his work Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First
Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence (1981) lays down the argument that in the Pigafetta account, a crucial
aspect of Butuan was not mentioned. Butuan is a riverine settlement, situated on the Agusan River. The beach of Masao is in the
delta of said river. It is a curious omission in the account of the river, which makes part of a distinct characteristic of Butuan's
geography that seemed to be too important to be missed.
It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan’s death, the survivors of his expedition went to Mindanao, and seemingly
went to Butuan. In this instance, Pigafetta vividly describes a trip in a river. But note that this account already happened after
Magellan’s death.
05 CONCLUSION
There was an attempt to try and look for other sources that could be used to further the research done in the case study in order to get
closer to the truth, but it has been determined by the group that the primary sources used in this case study were the most reliable and
credible.

Based on the findings utilizing the primary sources available, the group has come to a collective decision that the place where the first
Catholic mass took place was indeed in Limasawa, Leyte. The latest ruling of the National Historical Commission of the Philippine
wherein it states, “The panel unanimously agreed that the evidences 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 NHI. Hence, the panel recommended
that Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte, be sustained as the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass.” has also further solidified the group’s
stance on this controversy.

The group would also like to second the recommendation of the NHCP for the Butuan-based scholars “to explore further the historical
significance of Butuan as a precolonial trading center. Butuan has a lot of archeological artifacts and cultural traditions that could be
used to promote the city as one of the country’s premier historic sites.”

Links/External Readings:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Mass_in_the_Philippines

NHCP’s Latest Ruling on the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass Controversy

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mExTClwb_z7AMjS3Hvpds75WLoKLNnYh/view
05 CONCLUSION
Additional Information
Source: Wikipedia
The National Historical Institute (NHI) first took action on the Limasawa–Butuan controversy in 1980 followed by the creation of two more
panels in 1995 and 2008. The government has consistently concluded Limasawa as the site of the first Easter Sunday Mass in the country.
Another panel led by prominent historian Resil B. Mojares was formed in 2018 by now National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP) to further review continued claims in favor of Butuan. The pro-Butuan group presented non-eyewitness accounts decades after the
Mass as their proofs. Meanwhile, the pro-Limasawa group provided the panel coordinates of Mazaua given by the eyewitnesses, studies and
projects that retraced the Magellan–Elcano expedition using modern navigational instruments, and the copies of Pigafetta's original accounts.

Ahead of the quincentennial celebration of the Christianization of the Philippines, the NHCP dismissed the Butuan claim due to insufficient
evidences to change the government's current position and reaffirmed Limasawa as the site of the first Easter Sunday Mass in the country.
The panel also endorsed the changes proposed by historian Rolando Borrinaga to recognize Triana instead of Magallanes as the specific site
of the mass in Limasawa and Saub Point in Triana as the site of the cross planted by the Magellan expedition.

Potenciano R. Malvar, the chair of the Butuan Calagan Historical Cultural Foundation[32] and proponent of the Butuan claim, filed a lawsuit
in response to the panel's conclusions alleging libel and falsification against the Mojares Panel and Borrinaga on March 18, 2021.The legal
move was characterized by Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist John Nery as "dangerous nonsense" and a means to "weaponize the law
against historical truth."
06 DISCUSSION