CHAPTER 3

ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES;

CONTROVERSIES AND CONFLICTING
VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
THE SITE OF THE FIRST MASS
BUTUAN OR
LIMASAWA?
 March 16 1521
 “high land” called Zamal 300 leagues west of the Ladrones
Island
 March 17-25 ( 8 days)
 “uninhabited island” known as Homonhon Island
 March 28- April 4 (7 days)
 Mazaua Island
 April 7-Cebu
 April 14
 Rajah Humabon, his wife and hundred of native warriors
were the first natives to be baptized with Christianity in Cebu
 The mass was held on Easter Sunday, March
31, 1521, on an island called Mazaua.
 Two native chieftain were in attendance: the
Rajah of Mazaua (Rajah Kolambu) and the
Rajah of Butuan ( Rajah Siaui)
 Fr. Pedro de Valderrama

 After the mass, the party went up a little hill

and planted a wooden cross upon its summit.
 On Easter Day, in the territory of Butuan, the
first Mass ever offered in these parts was
celebrated and a cross planted. Magellan then
took formal possession of the Islands in the
name of the Emperor and of the Crown of
Castille.
 Magellan landed at Butuan and planted the
cross in a solemn ceremony.
 There was no mention of the first mass but the
other two events in Pigafetta’s account were
mentioned.
 The site of the first mass was in Butuan,
Agusan del Norte
 Their account has strong influence over
succeeding historians who qouted their
narratives.
 The evidence of Albo’s logbook
 The evidence of Pigafetta
 Mazaua lies at latitude of 9 and two-thirds
degrees North & it fits the location of the small
island of Limasawa, south of Leyte.
 Only the planting of the cross upon a mountain
top which could be seen 3 islands to the west &
souhtwest was mentioned.
 Above mentioned fits Limasawa as no islands
could be seen to the south and southwest of
Butuan but only towards the north.
 the itinerary of Magellan’s expedition show that
they didn’t go to Butuan or any other point on
the Mindanao coast.
 The survivors of the expedition went to
Mindanao later, but after Magellan’s death
 What is accepted today is that Limasawa
is now acknowledged and official under
the law (RA 2733) as the site of the First
mass.
§ Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso
Realonda
§ June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896
§ Noli me tangere and El filibusterismo
§ Teodora Alonso Realonda and Francisco
Mercado Rizal
A public statement made about
an earlier statement that
withdraws, cancels, refutes, or
reverses the original statement
or ceases and desist from
publishing the original
statement.
 The letter, dated December 29 1896
was said to have been signed by the
national hero himself. Rizal retracted
because the church would not allow
his marriage to Josephine Bracken
unless retracted his masonic
affiliation.
 Fr. Manuel A. Garcia
 Eye witnesses
 Fr. Vicente Balaguer
 Mariano Martinez Gallegos- Eloy Moure, Juan del Fresno

 The marriage of Rizal and Josephine

 Cuerpo de Vigilancia- Federico Moreno
 The Catholic devotion books
 The Priest and Crucifix
 RAFAEL PALMA
 author of Biografia de Rizal (1938)
 retraction is not in keeping with Rizal’s
character and mature beliefs
 Rizal’s burial was kept secret

 RICARDO PASCUAL- not Rizal’s handwrting

 No marriage contract
 1. Cavite Mutiny
 [Link] Martyrdom of the 3 priest

Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora

 An open rebellion against the proper
authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors
against their officers.
 Refuse to obey the orders of a person in
authority.
 Uprising of military personnel of Fort San Felipe
(the Spanish arsenal in Cavite) on January 20,
1872
 January 20 1872- Feast of Virgin Loreto-
Sampaloc
 Fernando La Madrid

 Militray Governor Fernando Rojas- despatched

two Spaniards
 Domingo Mijares- commandant of the Marine-
Izquierdo- Felipe Ginoves
 Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, this was merely a
mutiny of native Filipino soldiers and laborers of Cavite
arsenal against the harsh policy of despotic Governor
and Captain-General Rafael de Izquierdo which
abolished their old-time privileges of exemption from
paying the annual tribute and from rendering forced
labor (polo).
 JOSE MONTERO Y VIDAL - an attempt in overthrowing the
Spanish government In the Philippines.
 Governor General Rafael Izquierdo reported to the
Spanish Minister of War, dated Manila, January 23, 1872,
blaming the Cavite Mutiny on the native clergy, some local
residents, and intellectuals.
 The Spanish clergy connected the priest to the mutiny as part
of the conspiracy to stifle the movement of the secular priest
who decide to have their own parishes instead of being
assistants to the regular friars.
 Secularization Movement
 Prominent Filipino priest charged with treason and sedition
SPANISH VERSION FILIPINO VERSION
 Friars used Cavite  Simply a mutiny or
Mutiny as part of a revolt of the Filipino
large conspiracy to soldiers and
cement their laborers towards the
dominance administrators of the
 They showcase the Cavite arsenal
mutiny as part of a because of the
greater conspiracy in abolition of their
the Philipps to priveleges.
overthrow the
Spnish governemnt
 The first cry is generally signified as
the first call for rebellion. It is
marked as the beginning of
Philippine revolution or seeking of
independence for the Philippines
from Spanish colonial rule with the
use of violence and arms.
 With the initiative of Andres Bonifacio and his
colleagues, they founded a Philippine revolutionary
organization. Commonly known as Katipunan or KKK,
with its primary goal to gain independence from
Spain through a revolution.
 The Katipunan was a secret organization until it was
discovered in 1896 which led to start the Philippine
Revolution which is now called the “First Cry”
 Tearing up of community tax certificate
 Patriotic shouts such as

 “viva la independencia Filipino” or “Long

live Philippine Independence”
 “Long live the Philippines”

 ‘’ Long live the Sons of the People!’’

Dr. Pio Valenzuela’s Santiago Alvarez’s Guillermo Gregoria de Jesus’
Account “Cry of Account “The Cry of Masangkay’s The First “ Cry”
Pugad Lawin’’ Bahay Toro” (August Account ‘’ The Cry of (August 25, 1896)
(August 23, 1896) 24, 1896) Balintawak’’ (August
26, 1896)

• August 19 1896- • August 22 1896- August 26 1896- a August 25 1896-

first five arrived in 300 men big meeting was held near Calaocan
Balintawak assembled in Balintawak

• August 20 1896- • August 23 1896- 9 AM- meeting was

Dr. Pio Valenzuela more than 500 opened with Andres
arrived members arrived Bonifacio presiding
at Bahay Toro and Emilio Jacinto
• August 22 1896- acting as secretary
500 members of • August 24 1896-
Katipunan met at the cry of Bahay
Kangkong. Toro

• August 29 1896- • August 29 1896-

start of revolution Uprising to defend
against Sapnish people’s freedom
governement
 Dr. Pio Valenzuela has been authorized the ‘’Cry of Pugad Lawin, who
happened to eyewitness the event. He was also an official of the
Katipunan and a friend of Andres Bonifacio. There were two versions
presented by him. In his first version, he told that the prime staging
point of the Cry was in Balintawak on Wednesday of August 26, 1896.
He held this account when the happenings or events are still vivid in
his memory. On the other hand, later in his life and with a fading
memory, he wrote his Memoirs of the Revolution without consulting
the written documents of the Philippine revolution and claimed that
the ‘’Cry’’ took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.
 This version of the “Cry’’ was written by Santiago
Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero from Cavite and a
son of Mariano Alvarez. Santiago is a relative of
Gregoria de Jesus, who happened to be the wife of
Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first
version mentioned (Valenzuela), Santiago Alvarez is
not an eyewitness of this event. As a result, this
version of him is not given of equal value as
compared with the other versions for authors of
other accounts are actually part of the historic event.
 In 1932, Guillermo Masangkay, a friend and fellow
Katipunero of Andres Bonifacio, recounted his
experiences as a member of the revolutionary
movement. In an interview with the Sunday Tribune
magazine, Masangkay said that the First Cry
happened in Balintawak on August 26, 1896. In the
first decade of American rule, it was his account that
was used by the government and civic officials to fix
date and place of the First Cry which was capped
with the erection of the ‘’Monument to the Heroes of
1896’’ in that place.
 However, in an interview published in the
newspaper Bagong Buhayon August 26, 1957,
Masangkay changed his narrative stating that
the revolution began on August 23, 1896,
similar to the assertion of Dr. Pio Valenzuela.
But Masangkay’s date was later changed again
when his granddaughter, Soledad Buehler-
Borromeo, cited sources, including the
Masangkay papers, that the original date was
August 26.
 This version was written by no other than the
“ Lakambini of the Katipunan” and wife Andres
Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. She has been a
participant of this event and became the keeper of
the secret documents of the Katipunan. After the
revolution in August 1896, she lived with her
parents in Caloocan then fled to Manila when she
was told that the Spanish authorities wanted to
arrest her. Eventually, she joined her husband in the
mountains and shared adversities with him. In her
account, the First “Cry” happened near Caloocan on
August 25, 1896.
 The official date and
place of the first cry were
largely based on the
account of Dr. Pio
Valenzuela
 In 1963, the NHCP
decided that, following
extensive research of
primary sources, the First
Cry of the Philippine
Revolution happened on
August 23 1896.
 Its
historic significance to us
consist of the realization that
the Filipino people had finally
realized the lasting value of
freedom and independence
and the need to fight in order to
prove themselves worthy to be
called a truly free people.