CONTROVERSIES

AND CONFLICTING 
VIEWS IN 
PHILIPPINES HISTORY
• One controversy in the history of
the Philippines is the site of the
First Mass. Conflicting views were
presented and the search of
evidences was done and these were
examined.
• To realize the goal of accurately
establishing the exact location of
the first mass in the Philippines,
evidences presented were re-
examined. Here is an example of a
• The site where Mass was first celebrated on
Philippine soil has been a subject of
controversy for several decades. The two places
put forward are the island of Limasawa to the
south of Leyte, and the mouth of the Agusan
River near Butuan in northeastern Mindanao. 
• There is little that could be submitted as new
evidence on the subject but there is perhaps
some room for a reexamination of the existing
evidence, and for reducing that evidence into
some kind of pattern.
 In thus reexamining the evidence, the present writer
has come to the following general conclusions:

1. During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a strong

and almost unanimous tradition existed to the effect
that the first Mass on Philippine soil was celebrated
at or near Butuan.
2. On the strength of that tradition, and also
embodying it, a monument was erected in 1872
near Butuan, commemorating the landing of
Magellan and the celebration there of the first
Mass. 
3. A break in this tradition began to appear in or about
1900, when a few scholars began to question the validity
of the Butuan tradition.
4. A contrary tradition gradually gained ground, placing the
site of the first Mass on the island of Limasawa. This new
tradition received official support from the National
Historical Committee (which had been established in
1933).
5. The tradition in favor of Limasawa and against Butuan
was based mainly on 3 closer study of the two eye-
witness accounts of the Magellan expedition, viz.
Pigafetta's narrative, and the log-book of the pilot,
Francisco Albo. 
 Let us now discuss the above-mentioned points in detail, in
accordance with the following outline: 

I. An examination of the three-century tradition; 

II. The monument at Butuan and its historical implication; 
III. The shift in opinion; 
IV. An examination of the evidence of the two eye-witness
accounts:
                     A. Pigafetta 
                     B. Albo

V. Conclusions from both testimonies; 

VI. A possible explanation for the three-century tradition in
 I. THE THREE-CENTURY TRADITION (1600-1900) 

It seems to have been the common opinion of writers and historians during the
17th; 18th and 19th centuries that the first Mass on Philippine soil was offered by
members of the Magellan expedition at or near Butuan. This unanimity is quite
impressive. Here is a partial list of the authors who have been cited in favor of
the Butuan tradition:
From the 19th From the early 20th
From the 17th century century:  century: 
• Francisco Colin 3.J. (1663)  • Tomas Comyn • Jose Algue S.J. et al.
• Francisco Combes S.J. (1667) (1820)  (1900) 
• Giovanni Gemelli Careri (1699)• J.B. Mallat (1846)  • Marin y Morales
• Buzeta and Bravo (1901) 
From the 18th Century:  (1850)  • Jose Burniol S. J.
• Juan Francisco de San Antonio • Agustin Santayana (1920)
O.F.M. (1738)  (1862) 
• Juan de la Concepcion O.S.~ (1788) 
• J. Montero y Vidal
• Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga (1886) 
 That is a formidable list, and it is only a partial listing.
This unanimity of opinion among so many authors works
two ways. On the one hand, it attests to the existence of a
tradition to the effect that the first Mass had been offered at
Butuan. On the other hand, the authors who wrote thus
were themselves responsible for the tradition, at least in
part. It must be remembered that very few of these authors
were original researchers; in many cases, each new author
merely echoed, (in some cases imperfectly)  what had 
already been said by previous writers. 
Let us now examine a few of the above-mentioned
authorities, beginning with the earliest, Father
Colin. Father Colin's Labor evangelica was first
published in Madrid in 1663, and was reissued in a
second edition, annotated by Father Pablo Pastells,
in 1900-1903. Although the first edition appeared
in the middle of the 17th century, Colin really
represent a much earlier tradition, since much of
his material was based (as he himself
acknowledged in the title-page) upon the
unpublished manuscript of Father Pedro Chirino,
who had come to the Philippines in 1581 and
At the end of three months and 12 days, during
which they traversed 4,000 leagues, having
crossed the Equator a second time, they climbed
up to 15 degrees North latitude where they came
upon two islands which they named las Velas (the
Sails). At 12 degrees North they came upon the
Ladrones Islands. A few days later they saw the
land of Ibabao (Samar) in this Archipelago. But
the first island they touched at was Humunu, a
small uninhabited island near Guiuan Point.... To
that and other islets they gave the name of Buenas
Señas (Good Omens) but to the entire
On Easter Day, in the territory of Butuan, the first Mass ever
offered in these parts was celebrated and cross was planted,
Magellan then took formal possession the islands in the
name the first of Emperor and of the Crown of Castille.

Whether or not Father  Colin had read Pigaffeta, he does

report Magellan's route accurately, from the straits of
Magellan to the island Homonhon. There were,   however,
author who got tho route mixed up. For Instance, the
Augustinian fray Juan de la Concepcion, in the first of his
14-volume History of the Philippines published in Manila in
the second half of the 18th century, gives the route as
follows:
 The General (Magellan) left the islands which he called
Las Vegas or the archipelago of San Lazaro, a name which
they still retain, although they have also added the name
Marianas Island. It has said that this was the Celebes of
antiquity, although I do not think this opinion Is solidly
founded. They sailed 300 leagues west ward, discovered
many islands with abundant supplies. Magellan had with
him a native Indian who understood their language, which
was a great help. They first saw Cape San Agustin at the
southern tip of the large of Mindanao, They sailed
(northward) along the coast of the province of Caraga,
entered the strait of Siargao which is formed by the Banajao
Point and the island of Leyte, and they landed at the island
 With the good reception given them by the  natives of Limasawa,
rested and recovered from the sufferings. There Magellan heard of the
River of Butuan, whose datu or chieftain was more powerful. He decided
to go to the mouth of that river, being led thither by the hopes aroused by
its fame. The chieftain (of Butuan) lived up to those hopes. He sent a boat
with ten men to inquire what kind of ships, of men, etc. (were those of
Magellan). Magellan replied through the interpreter that they were
vassals of the great and powerful King Of Castille that all they sought
was peace and free trade; that they desired to buy food supplies at
price. The chieftain replied that he did not have enough to supply so large
an expedition, but that he would bring what he could. They brought on
board 4 pigs, 3 goats, and supply of rice. It was Faster Sunday. The
General and ordered the construction on land of a shelter made of
branches, Then he ordered all hear Mass, which his men to disembark to
 De la Concepcion was mixed up on several points. The
name "San Lazaro" was given by Magellan to what was
later renamed the Philippine Islands, not to the Marianas.
Moreover, it was to the islands near the coast of Samar, not to
Cape San Agustin in Mindanao, that Magellan's expedition
first [Link] la Concepcion was obviously mixing up
Magellan's with one of the later expeditions: that of Loavsa
(1526) or that of.
Despite de la Concepcion's obvious errors, the point is that
he like others of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries took it as
an accepted fact that the first Mass was celebrated at the
mouth of the Agusan River, near Butuan.
 That tradition was so well accepted that at the
end of the 19th century, so erudite a man as
Wenceslao Retana could state without hesitation
that the first Mass on Philippine soil was offered at
Butuan: "En El pueblo de Butuan se celebro la
primera Misa que se rezo de Filipinas." 

With the same assurance, Father Jose Algue and

other learned Jesuits of Manila Observatory
affirmed the Butuan tradition in at least three
sections of their encyclopedic work published in
          II. THE BUTUAN MONUMENT

 It was on the strength of this widely-held, 3 century old tradition that
the civil authorities of Butuan erected in a monument commemorating
the arrival of Magellan and the celebration of the first mass. Magallanes,
the Spanish form of Magellan's name. The a monument was erected in
1872, near the mouth of the Agusan River, near village previously called
Masao and renamed Magellanes, the Spanish form of Magellan’s name.
The monument was made of red brick and slaked lime, and rose to a
height of about eight meters, Measuring one and one-half square meters
at the base and tapering off to a truncated pyramid. Upon one face
marble slab with an inscription which was 3 we shall quote presently.

That monument was still standing 33 years later, when members Of

the United States Navy (aboard the USS Arayat) made a survey of the
Agusan River from August 21 to November 25, 1905, To commemorate
 As time went on, the river began to eat up its bank and the monument
        
was eventually under water. With what must have been great labor, the
people of Butuan uprooted the monument and dragged the entire structure to
the barrio plaza where it lay on its side, awaiting relocation. Before the
Pacific War, plans were made to set up the monument in another and safer
site, but they had to be abandoned for lack of funds. The chief obstacle,
however, was the hostility (or at least indifference) co the project on the part
of the National Historical Committee, who by this time had accepted the
Limasawa tradition.
The inscription op the marble slab upon the Butuan monument
contains an unusual date. It may be translated as follows:
• To the Immortal Magellan, the town of Butuan with its Parish Priest and
the Spaniards resident therin to commemorate his landing and the
celebration of the First Mass on 8 April 1521. Erected in 1872, the
Governor of the District being Don Jose Ma. Carvello. It is of course
obvious that this monument (erected in 1872) does not constitute an
 III. THE SHIFT IN OPINION 

The shift in Opinion from Butuan to Limasawa

was directly due to the rediscovery and also to the
more careful study of the testimony of both
Pigafetta and Albo. The word "rediscovery" is not
too strong in this context. Pigafetta had quite
disappeared from view. We have already seen that
Juan de la Concepcion in the 18th century had
apparently not heard of him. Nor, for that matter,
had John Foreman in the late 19th century. Here is
his account of the Magellan expedition:
• On the 16th of March 1521 the Ladrones Islands were reached....
After a bloody combat the fleet continued its course westward.
Coasting along the North of the Island of Mindanao they arrived
at the mouth of the Butuan River, where they were supplied with
provisions by the chief. It was Easter Week and on this shore the
first Mass was celeb- rated in the Philippines.
• Foreman was obviously echoing previous writers, without
having reexamined the testimony of Pigafetta. Rizal himself had
apparently not heard (for only in the vaguest way) of Pigafetta's
work until he çame upon a copy of the Italian text in London
which he himself could understand but which he hoped someone
would translate into Spanish or Tagalog for 
the benefit of other Filipinos.
• It was the more careful study of Pigafetta's text that led scholars
 As is well known, Pastells had been the superior of the
Philippine Jesuits, and had also served for several years
in Mindanao as u missionary. He was of a conservative
cast of mind, as is apparent in his correspondence with
Jose Rizal. Upon returning to Spain he became a full-time
researcher in  the Philippines. To this end, he made a
systematic survey of the documents in Seville and
elsewhere and had them transcribed into the multi-
volume “Coleccion Pastells" of which two sets exist: one
at San Cugat and one in Madrid. Pastels collaborated with
Retana in bringing out 2 new edition of Combes (Madrid
1397). Then he brought out his own three-volume edition
of Colin (1900-1903). He then wrote a history of the
esuits in the Philippines in the 19th century, published
While collaborating on the new edition of Combes,
neither Retana nor Pastells seamed aware of any error in
the Butuan tradition, and Combes's remarks on the point
were allowed to remain without comment. But by the
time Pastells was preparing his edition of Colin's work,
he had reviewed the documentation on the Magellan,
expedition, including the works of Pigafetta and Albo.
To the statement of Colin that Magellan at Butuan had
landed and that the first Mass was celebrated there,
Pastells appended the following comment:
• Magellan did not go to Butuan. Rather, from the island of
Limasawa he went directly to Cebu. In that island (Limasawa) he
had dealings with Raja Siagu, chieftain of Butuan; and this
would explain the Author's (i.e. Colin' s) error. See the "Voyage"
of Pigafetta, and the diary of Albo, both of whom were eye-
witnesses.

• A second scholar whose influence was decisive in this regard was

James A. Robertson who translated Pigafetta's work, the two
French manuscripts as well as with Albo's log-book. The Italian
text and Robertson's translation were published in three volumes
in 1906 and later included in the Blair and Robertson collection,
and thus made easily accessible to all researchers.
 IV. EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNTS 
The reason for the shift in opinion at the beginning of
the 20th century was (as we have said) the rediscovery
and the more careful study of the text of the two eye-
witness accounts, namely, that of Pigafetta and that of
Francisco Albo. Let us now look at their testimony.

A. PIGAFETA'S ACCOUNT 
Pigafetta's testimony on the point at issue may be
reduced to the following points: 

1. On Saturday, 16 March 1521, they sighted the big

island of "Zamal" some 300 leagues from the
Ladrones Islands.
2. The following day (Sunday, March 17) they landed
at an uninhabited island near Zamal, where they
rested and set up two tents for the  sick. There they
were given food by natives from another island
(Zuluan) who told them that the island in which they
were was called "Humunu" (today, Homon- hon).
Magellan renamed it the Watering-place of Good
Omen (Acquada la di buoni Segnialli). This and other
islands were located at 10 degrees North latitude.
3. It was on that same day (Sunday, March 17) that
Magellan called the entire archipelago the Islands of
San Lazaro. The reason was that the Gospel passage
assigned for that Sunday in bent was the account of
the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11).
4. They remained at Homonhon an entire week, from Sunday, March
17, to the following Monday, March 25, the Monday in Holy Week
and " Our Lady's Day" (i.e the feast of the Annunciation). On that day
an accident happened to Pigafetta who narrowly escaped drowning.
And it was on that  they left "Humunu" and sailed west southwest past
several islands. 

5. On Holy Thursday, March 28, in the morning, they anchored near

small island where they had seen a fire the night before. The island
was 25 leagues from Homunu, and lay at a latitude of nine and two-
thirds degrees North.  The island's name was Mazaua, and there they
were well received by the natives. They remained at that island for
"seven days": that is, from Thursday, March 28, till the following
Thursday, April 4.
7. Present at the Mass and at the planting of the cross
were two native chieftains, whom Pigafetta calls "kings.
One was the "king" of Mazaua. The other was his
relative, a fine-looking individual, who was from
"another island" named "Butuan and Calaghan." This
latter chieftain was visiting Mazaua, apparently not an
infrequent occurence. ("When those kings wished to see
one another, they both went to hunt in that island where
we were.​

8. It was apparently from the mountain-top where the

cross was planted that Magellan was shown various
islands He inquired which port he should go to in order
to obtain abundant supplies. He was told that there were
three possibilities: namely, "Ceylon"; "Calaghan"; and
9. Magellan resolved to go to "Zubu" and upon
descending from the mountain he asked for pilots to
guide him thither. The request was at first granted, but
later the chief of Mazaua asked for a postponement in
order to bring in the harvest, promising to guide them to
Zubu himself.

10. After 1 three-day postponement (during which Ma-

gellan's men helped with the harvest) , the fleet left Ma-
zaua, sailing northwest "passing among five islands:
Cey- lon, Bohol, Canighan, Baybai, and Gatighan." the
night at this latter island, They spent and then they
sailed past three islands, arriving at "'Zubui at noon on
Sunday, April 7.
 B. ARBO'S ACCOUNT 
Pigafetta's account is corroborate in substance by Albo's
diary, which, however, adds same details (and omits others).
Francisco Alba was one of the petty officers ("contrameastre")
in Magellan's ship "Trinidad" who began keeping a diary or log-
book of the voyage when they were sailing south in the Atlantic
one of the survivors that returned to Spain with nit° the coast of
Brazil pa cano on the "Victoria" being therefore one of those
who first circumnavigated the globe. In summary, Albo's
account was substantially as fellows:

1. On 16 March 1521 they saw land towards the northwest, but

owing to many shallow places they did not approach it. They
went instead to another island named Suluan, where they saw
2. Leaving those islands they went westward and anchored off a
small uninhabited island, clear of shoals, where they obtained
water and firewood. Albo calls this island "Gada" which may be a
mistake for "Aguada" (the name which Magellan had given to the
island of "Humunu“’). 

3. From there they sailed westward and followed the coast of

a large island named "Seilani" in a direction west southwest till
they came to a small island named Mazava, inhabited by very
good people. "There we placed a cross at the top of hill, and there
they showed us three islands to the west southwest. That island is
9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude. 
4. From there they went northwestwards, sailing
along the coast of "Seilani" (Leyte), and sighting
"another island" called Baybai till they came to
some smaller islands.

5. From there they sailed westwards till they came to

the channel between an island called "Metan" and
another called "Subu.​
 V. CONCLUSIONS FROM BOTH PESTIMONIES 

Comparing the two testimonies of Pigafetta and Albo, we come to the

following reconstruction of the Magellan itinerary: 

1. From the island of Homunu (Homonhon) or "Aguada" the fleet

sailed down the Leyte coast and landed at a small island of Mazaua,
which lies at 9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude.

2. It was on this island that Mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday,

March 31, and a cross was planted on top of the highesthill ( Albo does
not mention the Mass, but mentions the planting of the cross. 
3. Albo does not specify how long they remained on Mazaua;
Pigafetta says specifically "seven days, " starting Holy Thursday,
March 28.

4. From Mazaua they sailed northwards and then westwards,

stopping at various islands along the route (to allow the guide to
catch up with the larger ships which were faster). Eventually they
came to the channel between "Matan" and "Zubu". Pigafetta,
specifies the date: they entered the harbor of Zubu (Cebu) on
Sunday, April 7.
From the foregoing, several conclusions seem
inescapable, some positive, others negative. The positive
conclusions are the following: 

Conclusion 1. 
• The first Mass on Philippine soil was offered on Easter
Sunday, 31 March 1521, on the island of Mazaua, which lies
at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.

Conclusion 2. 
• The island of Mazaua is identical with what is called in
modern maps the island of Limasawa. The latitude given
imprecisely as " g and two-thirds degrees North" corresponds
substantially to the actual latitude of Limasawa.

Conclusion 3. 
The negative conclusions follow from them, namely:

Conclusion 4.​
• Magellan's fleet did not touch at Butuan (or any part of Mindanao)
on its way from Humonhon to Cebu.​

Conclusion 5. 
• The first Mass on Philippine soil was not offered at Butuan nor at
any other point in Mindanao. 

This does not mean that the Magellan fleet did not touch at Butuan at
all. As we shall state in the next section, it is certain that after
Magellan's death, the remnants of the expedition visited various places
in Mindanao. It is quite likely that one of the places thus visited was
VI. REASONS FOR THE THREE-CENTURY
TRADITION 

This being the case, how explain the fact that for three
centuries a tradition had existed to the effect that the first
Mass had been offered at or near Butuan? A few possible
explanations might be suggested.

1. First, as Father Pastells has suggested, it was a fact that

Magellan did have personal dealings with the Raja of
"Butuan and Calaghan" (i.e. Butuan and Caraga.)

From Pigafetta we know that this encounter occurred on the

island of Mazaua. But since Pigafetta's account had been
lost sight of oy many writers, it was natural for them to
assume that the encounter had taken place on the chieftain's
own ground, namely at sutuan.
2. A second  explanation is the fact that the remnants of
Magellan's expedition did in fact go to Mindanao after
Magellan's death. Pigafetta describes the place in
Mindanao where they went to in these words: The part
of the 1 island belongs to the same land as Butuan and
Calagan, and lies toward Bohol, and is bounded by
Mazaua." They went up river some two leagues, and
this may very well have been the Agusan River.

This being the case, it could very well be that the

remnants of chat expedition Celebrated religious
service at the mouth of the Agusan River and
afterwards planted a cross on a people would
remember and high ground. The such an event, this
would explain the tradition that "Magellan" had
3. There is a third possible explanation: namely, confusion of two
expeditions: Magellan's and Legazpi's. We know that while Legazpi
was in Cebu, he sent an expedition to Butuan. Between Magellan's
voyage in 1521 and Legazpi's in 1565 was a period of only 44 years.
It is possible that these two events were confused in people's minds
(including the minds of not very careful writers). People would
remember the fact that "Spaniards" had come to Butuan and that
(possibly) Mass had been offered there. The visitors may have
belonged to Legazpi's expedition, but later writers had belonged to
Magellan's might imagine that they had belonged to Magellan's. 
 These are some of the possible explanations for the widely
held belief mentioned in the first section of this paper. Such
strong traditions are generally not without some validity,
and therefore it is to be regretted that the National Historical
Committee had brushed it aside so quickly. Instead of doing
so, they should have inquired into the possible explanations
why there was such unanimity in the 17th, 18th and 19th
centuries in favor of the Butuan tradition.

The tradition (as we have shown) was in error in its main

contention; but it must have contained some basis in fact. The
three possible explanations which we have given above might
possibly have constituted the valid basis for the tradition.
 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS 

In view of the above, we take the liberty to suggest the

following to the National Historical Institute and to tourism
agencies in the Government: 

1. The claim of limasawa as the site of the first Mass on

Philippine soil should be recognized and upheld. 

2. On the other hand, the claim of Butuan to have been

visited by both the Magellan and the Legazpi expeditions
should also be recognized and honored, as well as the fact
that among the people whom Magellan nad met at
Limasawa was a rajah from Butuan. Accordingly, the
monument at Butuan should be rebuilt, and an appropriate
CONTROVERSIE
S AND
CONFLICTING
VIEWS IN
PHILIPPINES
HISTORY
THE SITE OF THE
FIRST MASS ON
THE PHILIPPINE
SOIL
Click to add text
 THE OFFICIAL
REPORT OF
GOVERNOR
IZQUIERDO ON THE
CAVITE MUTINITY OF
1872