Case Study 1: Where Did the First Catholic Mass Take

Place in the Philippines?

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 sigificance (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 8 April 1521. The Butuan claim has been
based on a rather elementary reading of primary sources from the event.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the start of the twentieth
century, together with the increasing scholarship on the history of the
Philippines, à more nuanced reading of the available evidence was made,
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 scholars
It must be noted that there are only two primary sources that historians
refer to in identifying the site of the first Mass. One is the log kept by
Francisco Albo, a pilot of one of Magellan's ship, Trinidad. He was one of the
18 survivors who returned with Sebastian Elcano on the ship Victoria after
they circumnavigated the world. The other, and the more complete, was the
account by Antonio Pigafetta, Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage
Around the World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a member of the Magellan
expedition and an eyewitness of the events, particularly, of the first Mass.
 Primary Source: Albo's Iog

Source: "Diario ó dorotero del viuge de Miugallanen denele ol ca

S. Agustín en ol Brnzil hnsla ol rogreo n 1upana de ln no Victorin,
escrito por Frandsco Albo," Document no. xxii in Collerión de viupen y
descubrimientos que hicieron por mar ln bupanolendemle finen del nigtu
XV. Ed. Martin Fernandez de Nnvarrete (reprinted Bucnon Airen 1915, 5
Vols.) IV, 191-225. As cited in Miguel A. Bernnd "Butuan or limauawa?
The Site of the First Mass in thee Philippinen: A Reexamination of
Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A Journul of Southern Philippinen, Vol.
II, 1-35.
1. On the 16th of March (1521) as they Hniled in n weHterly coure
from Ladrones, they saw land towards the northweHt; but owing
found later
to many shallow places they did not approach it. They
that its name was Yunagan.

2. They went instend that sameday 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 islands, they sailed westward to an

two
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
to be the "Acquada" or Homonhon, at 10
testimony, this seems

degrees North latitude.)

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

Leyte.)
5. Sailing southwards along the coastof 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

where
they were shown three islands to the west and southwest,
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.
the
It be noted that in Albo's account, the location of Mazava fits
must
9°54'N.
location of the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte,
of the cross
Also, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting
and
upon mountain-top
a from which could be seen three islands to the west
Limasawwa.
southwest, which also fits the southern end of
Testimony on the Route of
Primary Source: Pigafetta's
Magellan's Expedition
7he Philippine
Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson,
A. Bernad, "Butuan
Islands, Vols. 33 and 34, as cited in Miguel
or Limasawa? The Site of the
First Mass in the Philippines: A
Journal of Southern
Reexamination of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A
Philippines, Vol. II, 1-35.

1. Saturday, 16 March 1521 Magellan's expedition sighted a "high

-

westward of
land" named "Zamal" which was some 300 leagues
Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.
Zamal
2. Sunday, March 17 The following day" after sighting
and
Island, they landed on "another island which was uninhabited
which lay "to the right" of the above-mentioned island of "Zamal.
south
"right" here would mean on their starboard going
or
(To the
sick members of
southwest.) There they set up two tents for the
the crew and had a sow killed for them. The name of this island
 was "Humunu" (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees
North latitude.

3. On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the entire
archipelago the "Islands of Saint Lazarus," the reason being that
it was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned for
the Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St.
John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
4. Monday, March 18 - In the afternoon of their second day on that
island, they saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in it.
An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food supplies,
and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies
in "four days."
5.
5. There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon.
Also they saw there some indications that there was gold in these
islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the island and called it
the "Watering Place of Good Omen" (Acquada la di bouni segniall).

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.
Monday, March 25 - In the afternoon, the expedition weighed
8
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.

The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was

9.
"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
is
(i.e., "Ceylon"). On the other hand, Hibuson (Pigafetta's Ibusson)
an island east of Leyte's southern tip.
 Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing "toward the
west southwest" past thoRe 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."
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, April4- 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.
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.
nursday, March 28- In the morning they anchored near an island
where they had seen a light the night before a small boat (boloto)
came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as
presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger
boats (balanghai) came, in one of which the native king sat under
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. In the afternoon that
shore,
closer to
day, theSpanish ships weighed anchor and came
Thursday, March 28,
anchoring near the native king's village. This
was Thursday in Holy Week, i.e., Holy Thursday.
sent his
2. Friday, March 29 "Next day. Holy Friday," Magellan
to ask the king if he
slave interpreter ashore in a small boat
and to say that
could provide the expedition with food supplies,
In reply the king
they had come as friends and not as enemies.
time went
himself came in a boat with six or eight men, and this
men embraced. Another exchange
up Magellan's ship and the two
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.
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,
ubu 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 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.

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 available, Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in
sources

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

crucial aspect of Butuan was not mentioned-the river.

Pigafetta account, a
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.

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. Spain's major foray into the exploration was through
Christopher Columbus, who proposed to sail westward to find a shorteut
to Asia. 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 rulers would
compete with the activities of exploring and conquering lands.
It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan's death, the
survivors of hisexpedition 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.