First Mass in the Philippines

...

The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31,
1521, Easter Sunday. It was said by Father Pedro de Valderrama along
the shores of what was referred to in the journals of Antonio Pigafetta
as "Mazaua".
Today, this site is widely believed by many to be Limasawa at the tip
of Southern Leyte,[1] though this is contested by some who assert that
the first mass was instead held at Masao, Butuan.[2]
Landing on Philippine shores
When Ferdinand Magellan and his European crew sailed from San
Lucar de Barrameda for an expedition to search for spices, these
explorers landed on the Philippines after their voyage from other
proximate areas. On March 28, 1521, while at sea, they saw a bonfire
which turned out to be Mazaua (believed to be today's Limasawa)
where they anchored.[3]
Blood compact
The island's sovereign ruler was Rajah Siaiu. When Magellan and
comrades set foot on the grounds of Mazaua, he befriended the Rajah
together with his brother Rajah Kulambu of Butuan. In those days, it
was customary among the indigenous—and in most of southeast Asia—
to seal friendship with a blood compact. On instigation of Magellan
who had heard the Malayan term for it, casi casi, the new friends
performed the ritual. This was the first recorded blood compact
between Filipinos and Spaniards. Gifts were exchanged by the two
parties when the celebration had ended.[4][5]
First Mass
On March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered a Mass to be
celebrated which was officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama, the
Andalusion chaplain of the fleet, the only priest then. Conducted near
the shores of the island, the First Holy Mass marked the birth of Roman
Catholicism in the Philippines. Colambu and Siaiu were the first
natives of the archipelago, which was not yet named "Philippines" until
the expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543, to attend the Mass
among other native inhabitants.[4][6]
Planting of the cross
In the afternoon of the same day, Magellan instructed his comrades to
plant a large wooden cross on the top of the hill overlooking the sea.
[7] Magellan's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, who recorded the event
said:
"After the cross was erected in position, each of us repeated a Pater
Noster and an Ave Maria, and adored the cross; and the kings [Colambu and
Siaiu] did the same."[8]

Magellan then took ownership of the islands where he had landed in

the name of King Charles V which he had named earlier on March
16 Archipelago of Saint Lazarus because it was the day of the saint
when the Armada reached the archipelago.[4][6]
Proclamation of the national shrine
On June 19, 1960, Republic Act No. 2733, called the Limasawa Law,
was enacted without Executive approval on June 19, 1960.[9] The
legislative fiat declared The site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the
Province of Leyte, where the first Mass in the Philippines was held is
hereby declared a national shrine to commemorate the birth of
Christianity in the Philippines.[10] Magallanes is east of the island of
Limasawa. In 1984 Imelda Marcos had a multi-million pesos Shrine of
the First Holy Mass built, an edifice made of steel, bricks and polished
concrete, and erected on top of a hill overlooking barangay
Magallanes, Limasawa. A super typhoon completely wiped this out just
a few months later. Another shrine was inaugurated in 2005.[11]
Limasawa celebrates the historic and religious coming of the
Spaniards every March 31 with a cultural presentation and anniversary
program dubbed as Sinugdan, meaning "beginning.".[12] Yet this has no
reference at all to a Catholic mass being held on March 31, 1521.
Historical controversies
Masao
Some Filipino historians have long contested the idea that Limasawa
was the site of the first Catholic mass in the country.[13] Historian
Sonia Zaide identified Masao (also Mazaua) in Butuan as the location
of the first Christian mass.[7] The basis of Zaide's claim is the diary
of Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of Magellan's voyage. In 1995 then
Congresswoman Ching Plaza of Agusan del Norte-Butuan City filed a
bill in Congress contesting the Limasawa hypothesis and asserting the
"site of the first mass" was Butuan.[14] The Philippine Congress
referred the matter to the National Historical Institute for it to study
the issue and recommend a historical finding. Then NHI chair Dr.
Samuel K. Tan reaffirmed Limasawa as the site of the first mass.[15]
Bolinao
Odoric of Pordenone, an Italian and Franciscan friar and missionary
explorer, is heartily believed by many Pangasinenses to have
celebrated the first mass in Pangasinan in around 1324 that would
have predated the mass held in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan. A marker
in front of Bolinao Church states that the first Mass on Philippine soil
was celebrated in Bolinao Bay in 1324 by a Franciscan missionary,
Blessed Odorico.
However, there is scholarly doubt that Odoric was ever at the
Philippines.[16] Ultimately, the National Historical Institute led by its
chair Ambeth Ocampo recognized the historical records
of Limasawa in Southern Leyte as the venue of the first Mass, held on
March 31, 1521.[17][18]
Notes

1. Valencia, Linda B. "Limasawa: Site of the First Mass". Philippines

News Agency. Ops.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15.
Retrieved 2007-11-12.

2. "Limasawa first mass not a 'hoax' – experts". CBCP News. June 8,

2014.
3. "A short Philippine History before the 1898 Revolution".
Newsletter of the District of Asia. Sspxasia.com. 2001.
Retrieved 2007-11-12.

4. Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1974). Introduction to Filipino History.

Quezon City, Philippines: GAROTECH Publishing. ISBN 971-10-2409-
8.

5. Mercado, Monina A. (Editor) (1985). Dioramas:a visual history of

the Philippines. Metro Manila, Philippines: Ayala Museum.CS1 maint:
extra text: authors list (link)

6. Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1962 by Del Carmen Juliana). Philippine

History. Manila, Philippines: Inang Wika Publishing Co.

7. Halili 2004, pp. 73

8. Pigfetta, Antonio (2008) [c. 1525, historical reproduction

republished c. 1905]. Helen, Emma; Robinson, James Alexander
(eds.). The Philippine Islands 1493-1898. BiblioBazaar, LLC.
p. 129. ISBN 978-1-4264-6706-6. ISBN 1-4264-6706-0, ISBN 978-1-
4264-6706-6

9. "Republic Act No. 2733". lgu.ph. June 19, 1960.

10. "REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2733 - AN ACT TO DECLARE THE SITE IN

MAGALLANES, LIMASAWA ISLAND IN THE PROVINCE OF LEYTE,
WHERE THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES WAS HELD AS A
NATIONAL SHRINE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF
HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND LANDMARKS THEREAT, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES". Chanrobles Law Library. June 19, 1960.
Retrieved 2008-12-13.

11. Borrinaga, Rolando O. (2007-04-14). "The right place for disputed

first Mass in Limasawa". Inquirer Visayas. Inquirer.net.
Retrieved 2007-11-12.

12. "Southern Leyte Is Famous For..." Wow Philippines.

Tourism.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12.
Retrieved 2007-11-15.
13. "Butuan to pursue claim it was site of First Mass in RP, 485 years
age". The Philippine Star. April 2, 2006.

14. Ben Serrano (April 4, 2006). "Butuan reclaims part as first mass
venue". sunstar.com.ph. Retrieved 2008-12-13.

15. Isagani Medina (1981). An Evaluation of the Controversy on the

First Mass in the Philippines. Manila: National Historical Institute.
pp. 31–35. ISSN 0115-3927.

16. "[T]hat the name of Luzon [Dolrdiin], which Mr. Romanet in his
work Les voyages en Asie au XIV siecle, took for original in the work
of Bl. Odoric de Pordenone is due to the natives and not to the
foreigners; secondly, that for Odoric the so-called islands of
Dondiin, comprise Ceylon, a part of Sonda, probably Berneo and the
Island Hainan, but by no means the Philippine Islands.” - Cited by
Isacio R. Rodriguez, “Bibliography on Legazpi and
Urdaneta,” Philippine Studies 13, n. 2 (1965), 296 - 297

17. Fuertes, Yolanda (17 Nov 2007). "Bolinao stakes claim to Mass
held in 1324". Inquirer.net. Northern Luzon Bureau. Retrieved 23
Dec 2014.

18. "Was First Mass held in Limasawa or Butuan? Church urged to

help settle controversy". interaksyon.com. April 3, 2012.

Bibliography

 Halili, M.C. (2004). Philippine History. Rex Bookstore, Inc. pp. 72–
73. ISBN 978-971-23-3934-9.
Site of the First Mass, After 488 years Controversy
Continues
A Tridentine mass was held early morning of march 31 to commemorate the 488th First Mass
Celebration officiated by Father Joesello Amalia at Bood Promontory in Pinamanculan. The mass is in
pure latin re-enacting the first Mass officiated by Fr. Pedro Valderrama, chaplain of the Spanish
expedition team headed by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, on March 31, 1521.

In his homily, Father Amalla explained that Bood Promontory is not the exact site where the First Mass
was held but rather it is the site of commemoration of the thanksgiving mass happened in Mazzua.
488 years ago Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan "rediscovered" archipelago in March 1521 and
made history. Little did he know that more than 400 years later, two places will contest the site of the
recorded First Mass in the Philippines, whether it was held in Limasawa Island in southern Leyte or in
Mazzua or Masao in Butuan. The controversy makes a mockery of the Philippine history when Limasawa
and Masao both commemorated the anniversary of the recorded First Mass in respective places.
The issue sparks when Dr. Gregorio Zaide and his daughter, Sonia, in several editions during the 1980s of
their widely-disseminated history textbook, insisted that the recorded First Mass was held in Masao,
Butuan and in the process, dismissed the Limasawa claim as erroneous.

The First Mass controversy continues and historian experts have been called to intervene in its hope to
settle the dispute. Over the years, it came to a point when the National Historical Institute, in a decision
handed out a few years back, had ruled that the recorded First Mass in the Philippines was indeed held
in Limasawa Island.

However, the Butuan Cultural and Historical Foundation Incorporated would not rest the case without
putting up a good fight. Mr. Greg Hontiveros, a local historian who authored two books, “Butuan in
Thousand Years” and “A Fire on the Island” stressed, that it is only here in the Philippines who legislates
history that makes Republic Act 2733, AN ACT TO DECLARE THE SITE IN MAGALLANES, LIMASAWA
ISLAND IN THE PROVINCE OF LEYTE, WHERE THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES WAS HELD AS A
NATIONAL SHRINE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND
LANDMARKS a mistake committed by the government.

Mr. Hontiveros added, they may have been failed in their effort to pave way in the amendment of the
law, but they were victorious in convincing majority of the historians that indeed, the First Mass was held
in Masao, Butuan, 488 years ago today.

Posted by Amazing Butuan at 3:57 AM

Vic de JesusApril 13, 2009 at 6:43 PM

Butuan was NOT where the supposed “first mass” was held

The place where an Easter mass was celebrated on March 31, 1521 was not Butuan. Or, Limasawa.

It was in the island-port named Mazaua. Being an island, it was surrounded by sea water.

There is an article at Wikipedia on Mazaua where all the properties of Mazaua–its location, size, kind of
port, shape, the name of its king, its flora and fauna, distances from Homonhon to the port, latitude, etc.
etc.–are explicitly defined. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazaua.

A fairly comprehensive but not exhaustive historiography of the Mazaua issue is contained in an article
published in the website of the Italian nuclear scientist and Italian translator of Dr. Jose Rizal, Dr. Vasco
Caini, at http://www.xeniaeditrice.it. When the page opens scroll down to the article Mazaua.
The notion the March 31, 1521 mass was held at Butuan comes from the garbled account by Giovanni
Battista Ramusio. It is such a corrupted translation of the original that the account is not Antonio
Pigafetta’s at all. In this translation, which Henry Harrisse says is a plagiarism by Ramusio of an
anonymously published book that saw print in 1534 (no one has seen this edition) and republished in
1536 (which is extant), Ramusio removed “Mazaua” and replaced it with Butuan.

The Butuan error stayed uncorrected for 266 years from 1534 or 1536 until 1800. The error was detected
in a book containing the authentic Pigafetta narration of the Magellan voyage, edited by the ex-
Augustinian polymath Carlo Amoretti.

But in correcting the error, Amoretti made a colossal blunder which was only detected in 1996 by the
author. Amoretti in two footnotes surmised that Mazaua (his exact names for the island was Massana
and Mazzana) MAY be the “Limassava” island in the 1734 map of the Philippines by French mapmaker
Jacques N. Bellin. This map was an exact copy of the most famous map ever made in the Philippines by
Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde, the edition of 1734.

Amoretti, by way of offering proof to support his assertion, states Limasawa and Mazaua are in the
latitude given by Pigafett, 9 degrees and 40 minutes North. This is wrong on three points: 1) Limasawa’s
latitude is 9 deg. 56 min. N; 2) There is no island at Pigafetta’s latitude; 3) There are two other readings
of latitude for Mazaua, 9 degrees North by The Genoese Pilot which is supported by the Portuguese
squadron leader, Antonio de Brito, who embargoed all objects found at the flagship Trinidad including a
number of logbooks and other papers, and 9 deg. 20 min. North by Francisco Albo, the Greek mariner
who piloted the Victoria back to Spain on Sept. 6, 1522.

The notion Combes’ Limasawa was Magellan’s Mazaua where the “first mass” was held is a false notion.
Combes nowhere says his Limasawa is the port where the fleet moored on March 28-April 3, 1521.
Nowhere does Combes say there was any mass held in his Limasawa or anywhere in the Philippines for
that matter on March 31, 1521. To verify this, go to the English translation of the 3-paragraph story by
Combes of Magellan’s sojourn in Philippine waters. Click http://books.google.com/books?
id=NbG7kHtBma8C&pg=PA1&dq=First+mass+in+Limasawa&ei=6w27SZi7IoLKlQS8neDVAg#PPA4,M1. The
original Spanish text may be accessed at http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?
c=philamer;cc=philamer;q1=Limasaua;rgn=full
%20text;idno=ahz9273.0001.001;didno=ahz9273.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000134

Where then is Magellan’s port today? The answer may be found at the ff. Wikipedia articles:

1. First mass in the Philippines –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_mass_in_the_Philippines

2. Carlo Amoretti — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Amoretti

3. Gines de Mafra — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gines_de_Mafra

4. Mazaua — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazaua

5. Francisco Combes — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Comb%C3%A9s

6. Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Herrera_y_Tordesillas

7. Andres de San Martin — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_de_San_Mart%C3%ADn

8. Ruy Lopez de Villalobos — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruy_Lopez_de_Villalobos

No serious scholar of Magellan historiography today still thinks Limasawa is Mazaua. Only the National
Historical Institute and fanatic advocates (not scholars) of Amoretti’s Limasawa hypothesis still think the
southern isle is or can be Mazaua.

Ironically, some writers from Butuan think in the same way as NHI itself. For what unexplained reason,
it’s not clear.

The only remaining problem is whether the suspect isle of Pinamanculan-Bancasi is really Mazaua. This
issue is not historiographical. It is archaeological, i.e., there is need to come up with artefacts directly
traceable to Magellan, Gines de Mafra, and a number of other recorded visits by Europeans in the 16th
century.

These artefacts cannot be produced by further historiographical conversation. It is only by digging that
concrete evidence may be found.
St. James the Great Parish Church in Bolinao, Pangasinan

One of the oldest churches in Pangasinan, St. James the Great Parish Church in Bolinao, Pangasinan was
constructed in 1600s using native materials that includes wood, ground coral stones, rocks, and eggs
(probably as binding agent). The church remains the center of catholic faith in Bolinao and served as
shelter from pirate raids as well as during the WW2.
The church survived multiple natural calamities including the 1788 earthquake that damaged the church
tower, the 1819 fire that burned the convent, and the 2009 typhoon that caused heavy damage on the
church structures.

In front of the church is a marker stating that the first mass was celebrated in the Philippines in 1324.
After being forced to land due to a stormy weather, Blessed Fr. Odorico held a thanksgiving mass. He also
baptized several locals before returning home in Italy.

The marker reads:

Born in Pordinone (Italy) around 1275 A.D., Father ODORICO, a courageours and religious Franciscan
missionary pioneered the spread of the Gospel in Asia and China. He traveled always barefooted among
undescribable difficulties and dangers, exhausting his energies in the service of the Kingdom of GOD.
In 1324, after landing and taking refuge in Bolinao Pangasinan during a stormy weather, Father
ODORICO celebrated a thanksgiving Mass in honor of their safe journey and his mission. He also
indoctrinated and baptized many of the Malay immigrants in Bolinao.

He returned home to Udine (Friuli) Italy after thirteen years mission. He died a holy death on January 14,
1331. His precious remains are kept in an artistic tomb of the parish Church of our Lady of Mount Carmel
in Udine (Italy).

This historical church as a lot to be proud of. Take a look at these other markers:
The ST. JAMES THE GREAT PARISH Bolinao, Pangasinan was canonically erected in the year 1609 when
the Augustinian Friars took over this mission territory which was earlier entrusted by the Spanish Colonial
Government to the Dominican Friars in the year 1594 and left the place in the year 1607 due to the
vastness of their mission territories and the scarcity of their missionary members.

The Church tower of Bolinao measuring seventy five (75) feet was then the tallest in the whole
Pangasinan if not in the entire Northern Luzon. However, an earthquake in 1788 toppled about half of it.
Then in 1819, the Church Convent was also accidentally burned.
The Church’s Interiors
Here below is the church’s altar and tabernacle.
The church is undergoing structural repairs and maintenance.

This wraps up our 3D/2N Bolinao exploration.