Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History

Topic 1: Case Study 1 - Where did the First Catholic Mass take place in the
Philippines?
Overview:
In this chapter, we will analyze four historiographical problems in Philippine history
in an attempt to apply what we have learned thus far in the work of a historian and the
process of historical inquiry. Earlier we have been introduced to history as a discipline, the
historical method, and the content and context analysis of primary sources. Two key
concepts that need to be defined before proceeding to the historical analysis of problems in
history are interpretation and multiperspectivity.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. To interpret historical events using primary sources
2. To recognize multiplicity of interpretation that can be read from a historical text
3. To identify the two primary sources who wrote about the Magellan’s expedition
mentioning about the first Mass in the island
4. To demonstrate ability to argue for or against a particular issue using primary
sources.

Introduction
The Age of Exploration is a period of competition among European rulers to conquer
and colonize lands outside their original domain. Initially, the goal was to find alternative
routes by sea to get to Asian the main source of spices and other commodities. Existing routes
to Asian we're mainly by land and cost very expensive and 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 shortcut to Asia. He was able to reach the Americans, which was then cut
off from the rest of the known world.
The popularity of knowing where the first happened in history has been an easy way
to trivialize history, but this case study will not focus on the significance 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 event.
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 commemorate the expedition arrival and celebration of Mass on April 8, 1521. The
Butuan claim has been based on a rather elementary reading of primary sources from
the event.

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 • Toward the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, together with
the increasing scholarship on the history of the Philippines, and more nuanced
reading of the available evidence was made, which brought to light more
consideration 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 2 primary sources that historians refer to
an identifying the site of the Mass. One is the log kept by Francisco Albo, one of
the pilots of one of Magellan’s ship, Trinidad. He was one of the 18 survivors who
returned with Sebastian Elcano in 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, (The Voyage Around the World ). Pigafetta, like Albo,
was a member of the Magellan expedition and an eyewitness of the event,
particularly, of the Mass.

Primary Source: Albo's Log

Source: "Diario o` derotero del viage de Magallanes desde el cabo se S. Agustin en el Brazil
hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao Victoria, escrito por Frandsco Albo, " Document no. xxii in
Collecion de viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles desde fines del siglo
XV, Ed. Martin Fernandez de Navarrete (reprinted Buenos Aires 1945, 5 Vols.) IV 191-225. 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. On the 16th day of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones, they
saw land towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they didn't approach it.
They found later that its name was Yunagan.
2. They went instead that same day 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 2 islands, they sailed westward to an uninhibited 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 Pigafettas testimony, this
seems to be the "Aquada" or Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.)
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 coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to
a small island called "Mazava". That island is also at latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees
north.

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6. The people of that island of Mazava we're very good. There the Spaniards planted a cross
upon a mountain top, and from there they were shown three islands to the west and
Southwest, where 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 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 10 leagues, and there they saw 3 islets, where
they dropped anchor for the night. In the morning they sailed southwest some 12 leagues,
down to latitude of 10 and one-third degrees. There they entered a channel between 2
islands, one of which was called "Matan" and the other "Subu".
9. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward, anchored at the town (la villa)
of Subu where they stayed more days and obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact
the local king.
10. The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the island of Suluan and Mazava.
But between Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not go
westward directly, has to go in a roundabout way.
It must be noted that in Albos account, the location of Mazava fits the location of the
island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54. Albo does not mention the first
Mass, but only a planting of the cross upon a mountain-top from which could be seen
3 islands to the west of southwest, which also fits the southern end of Limasawa.

Primary Source: Pigafetta's Testimony on the Route of Magellan's Expedition

Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, Vols. 33 and 34,
as cited in Miguel A. Bernard, "Butuan or Limasawa? The site of the first Mass in the Philippines:
Reexamination of evidence 1981, Kinaadman:Ah Journal of Southeast Philippines, Vol. III, 1-35.

1. Saturday, March 16, 1521 - Magellan’s expedition sighted a high land named "Zamal"
which was some 300 leagues westward Ladrones (now Marianas/Guam) island.
2. Sunday, March 17 - "The following day after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on
another island which was uninhabited and which lay" to the right "of the above-mentioned
island of Zamal". (To the right here would mean on their starboard going southwest.) There
they set up 2 tents for the sick members, the crew and had and sow killed for them. The name
of this island was" Humunu" (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees North
latitude.

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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 11th 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 about
coming towards them with 9 men in it. And exchange of gifts was affected. Magellan asked
for food supplies, and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies in four
days.
5. There were 2 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 the Good Omen" (Acquada la di bouni segniali).
6. Friday, March 22 - At noon the natives returned. This time they were in 2 boats, and they
brought food supplies.
7. Magellan’s expedition stayed 8 days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday
of the following week, 25 of March.
8. Monday, March 25 - In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island
of Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day 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, and 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.
9. The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was toward the west
southwest, between 4 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 "Seilano": namely the island of Leyte." Hiunanghan seemed to
Pigafetta to be a separate island, but is actually on the mainland of Leyte (Ceilon). On the
other hand, Hibuson (Pigafettas Ibusson) is an island east of Leytes southern tip. Thus, it is
easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing "towards west towards" past those islands. They
left Homonhon said westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southwest
passing between the island of Hibuson on their portside Hiunangan Bay on their starboard,
and then continued southwest 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 seen a light or a bonfire. That island lies in a latitude of
9 two-thirds towards the Arctic Pole (North) and in a longitude of 162 degrees from the line
of demarcation. It is 25 leagues from the Aquada, and is called Mazaua.
11. They remained 7 days on Mazaua Island.

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12. Thursday, April 4 - They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu. They went guided thither by the
king of Mazaua who sailed in his own boat. Their route took them past 5 islands namely:
Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatighan.
13. At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the 3 islands of Camotes Group, namely: Poro,
Pasihan and Ponson. Here the Spanish ships stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch
with them, since them, since the Spanish ships were much faster than 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 3
days to negotiate the journey from Mazaua northwards to the Camotes Islands and then
southward to Cebu.
It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta testimony coincide and
corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave more details on what they did during their
weeklong stay at Mazaua.

Using the primary sources available, Filipino Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad his work
Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: And Reexamination
of Evidence (1981) lays down the argument that in the Pigafettas account, and crucial
aspect of Butuan was not mentioned - the river of Butuan is a riverine settlement,
situated on the Agusan River. The beach Masao is in the delta of said river. It is a curious
omission in the account of the river, which makes part of distinct characteristics of Butuan’s
geography that seemed to be too important to be missed.
• It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan’s death, the survivors of his
expedition went to Mindanao, and seemingly went to Butuan. In this instance,
Pigafetta vividly describe a trip in a river. But note that this account already happened
after Magellan’s death.

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