Our topic is all about the location of the first mass.
Based on our research On March 31,
1521 the first mass was held in Limasawa Island province Leyte. Evidence of the First
Mass The site of the first mass occurred in Limasawa Island province in Southern Letye.
This claim was proven by historians. Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar, and explorer
was the chronicler of the Magellan expedition. Per Pigafetta, evidence that the Easter
Sunday Mass happened in Limasawa was stated in his journal. The site of the first mass
was held on Philippine soil which was an island lying off the Southern tip of Leyte which
is Mazaua. The position of Mazaua, as plotted by Pigafetta, matched that of Limasawa.
He tells us that the first mass was held at Easter Sunday, the 31stof March 1521, on
Mazaua. The Rajah of Mazaua and the Rajah of Butuan, two native chieftains were
present that day. Magellan met Rajah Kolambu from Limasawa and Rajah Siagu from
Butuan, and to give respect to them, Ferdinand Magellan agreed to do the ritual called
"Sanduguan" where they will shed blood and they will drink it After the celebration at
morning, which was officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama, around afternoon, a cross
was carried and placed at the summit of the highest nearby hill. Francisco Albo, who was
pilot of Magellan’s ship, stated that after planting the cross, they overlooked the 3
islands from west to southwest. An evidence to support our claims is according to the
accounts of Antonio Pigafetta and logs of Francisco Albo, they were two eye-witnesses
of Magellan’s voyage. Albo stated that the first mass took place on an island called
Mazava while Pigafetta stated it was on an island called Mazaua. From the island
ofHomonhon, they went westward towards the island of Leyte and turned to a
southwest direction to reach the island. Based on these geographic locations provided
by Albo and Pigafetta, the island
of Limasawa in Southern Leyte is the counterpart. Another evidence involves the two
chieftains that they met in the island of Mazaua. According to Albo and Pigafetta, they
met the Rajah of Limasawa and Rajah of Butuan who was said to be visiting the island.
Magellan did not go to Butuan to meet the king there. This evidence opposes the book
Historia de Mindanao y Jolo written by Francisco Combes S.J., a missionary in the
Philippines. He stated in his book that Magellan went to Butuan because they heard the
king of Butuan is more powerful which made them want to meet him. They were
satisfied with the king which led them to plant a cross on a hill as a sign of alliance in
the future. In this case, Pigafetta and Albo’s accounts are most agreeable because they
are eyewitnesses and considered as first-hand accounts. Pigafettas work is more
detailed and a reliable source of information regarding the voyage compared to claims
stated by secondhand accounts. Another evidence would be Pigafetta’s day-to-day
account of their stay in Mazaua Island that lasted for seven days. Within the span of this
seven days, they met the kings, conducted the first mass, worked on the harvests, and
left Mazaua bound for Cebu. 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 NHI (National Historian Institute) the forerunner of NHCP
(National Historical Commission of the Philippines) later resolved this issue through two
panels of experts. Emilio Gancayco in 1995, a former Supreme Court Justice and the
second by Benito Legarda in 2008, a historian. Both ruled the site of the 1521 Easter
Sunday Mass was in Limasawa Island. Also, according to NHCP chair Rene Escalante,
“The panel 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 NHI.” It must be pointed out that the
testimonies given by Pigafette and Albo matches. The only difference is that Pigafette
provided a more detailed description of their stay in Mazaua. Although the evidence
presented came from mainly few accounts, these evidence are considered as primary
sources.
SITE OF
THE
FIRST MASS
(RPH)
Name: Jericho Marquez
Yr/section: BSCS-1
Teacher: Ms. Karen Garay