“One past but many

histories:
CONTROVERSIES IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Butuan or Limasawa?
THE SITE OF THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Where was the first official
Roman Catholic mass held?
Arguments in
Favor of
Limasawa,
Southern Leyte
Francisco Albo’s Account
March 1516, they sight more islands, giving names to two, Suluan and Yunagan the first islands
of the archipelago of San Lazaro ( the Philippines). They land successively at the islands of gada,
Seilani and Mazava, and pass by or anchor at Matan,Subu,Baibai. “We left Subu sailing
southeast….
Between the Cape of Subu and an island named Bohol; and on the western side of the Cape Subu
is another island, by name, Panilongo, inhabited by blacks.
This island and Subu have gold and quantities of ginger.”

Notice the word “Mazava” was the site where the expedition landed.
PIGAFETTA’S ACCOUNT
“Early on the morning of Sunday, the last of March, and Easter-day, the captain-general sent the
priest with some men to prepare the place where mass was to be said; together with the
interpreter to tell the king that we were not going to land in order to dine with him, but to say
mass.
• … There are dogs, cats, swine, fowls, goats, goats, rice, ginger, cocoa-nuts, figs (i.e., bananas),
oranges, lemons, millet, panicum, sorgo, wax, and a quantity of gold in THAT ISLAND. It lies in
latitude of nine and two-thirds degrees from the line of demarcation. It is twenty-five from the
Acquada, and is called MAZAUA.
Arguments in
Favor of
Masao,
Butuan City
GREGORIO ZAIDE (2002) PROVIDES NARRATION OF WHAT
TRANSPIRED
DURING THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES, BELOW IS HIS
NARRATION:
“Another important event took place at Butuan. The first mass was held on the shore of Masao,
Butuan on Easter morning, March 31, 1521. It was said that Father Pedro de Valderrama, the
Spanish chaplain officiated the mass. The Filipino kings and their men attended the mass along
with Magellan and his men. After the mass, the Filipinos were treated to a fencing exhibition by
the Spaniards. Then, at sunset of the same day, Magellan planted a huge wooden cross on the
top of the hill overlooking of the sea”.
(6) points favoring Masao, Butuan City as
the site of the first mass in the Philippines.
These are:
• first is the name of the place, as various accounts provide that the place where the mass was
held has three syllables which is “Masao” while “Limasawa” has four syllabus.
• Second, path leading to Homonhon as the sources provide that the ship sailed 20 to 30
leagues from Homonhon and the first destination to the site of the first mass, taking a west
southwest course
• Third, location of the latitude , other primary sources locate the place at 90 north latitude and
otherfs at 9 2/3°.
With this location, it easily takes away Limasawa as a possible site because it is closer by 10
degrees and supports the claim of Masao,Butuan because it is exactly at nine degrees.
Zaide also enumerated five (6) points
favoring Masao, Butuan City as the site of
the first mass in the Philippines.
Fourth, the passage to Cebu which is perfectly similar to the one taken by the sailors from Cebu
to Butuan.
• Fifth, the material cultures in Butuan because such as the practice of making bonfires, the
‘balanghai’’ in which Butuan is the site of at least (9) excavated “balanghai” relics, and the
houses by which natives of Masao build their houses as a protection against typhoons.
• Lastly, the geographical features of Butuan. The following geographical features of Butuan are
as follows: (1) the abundance of gold in Masao as opposed to Limasawa; and (2) a developed
settlement in which it is believed that Butuan was a developed port long before the Westerns
came.
Accounts at the End of the
th
19 Century and Start of
th
the 20 Century
Supporting Butuan as the
Site of the First Mass
Limasawa Law
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 Monuments Thereat and For Other Purposes
Section 1. 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.
Section 2. All historical monuments and landmarks in said site shall be preserved and/or reconstructed
whenever necessary as much as possible in their original form and are hereby declared national
historical monuments and landmarks.
Section 3. The National Planning Commission shall exercise supervision and control over the
reconstruction and/or preservation of the aforesaid site and monuments, and shall issue rules and
regulations to effectuate the preceding section of this Act.
Limasawa Law
Republic Act No. 2733
Section 4. Necessary funds for the purposes of this Act shall be provided for in the annual
appropriations for the public works and disbursements shall be made by the National Planning
Commision under such rules and
regulations as the Auditor General may prescribe.
Section 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Enacted without Executive approval on June 19,1960
NHCP
The Board of Commissioners of the National Historical Commission
of the Philippines (NHCP) signed on 15 July 2020 Resolution No. 2,
adopting the report submitted by the panel that reviewed the issue
surrounding the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass in the
Philippines. In the report (see below), the panel recommended
Limasawa, in today’s Southern Leyte, as the site of the said
event.
Quote of the Day