Controversies and

Conflicting Views in
Philippine History
Site of the First Mass
First Mass in the Philippines
• Marked the birth of Roman Catholicism in
the Philippines
• Held on March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday)
along the shores of “Mazaua”
• Officiated by Friar Pedro Valderrama
• Two native chieftains were in attendance
• After the mass, they Photo Source:
https://www.britannica.c
went up a little hill om/biography/Ferdinand-
Magellan
and planted a wooden
cross upon its summit
TWO POSSIBLE LOCATIONS
OF MAZAUA
The BUTUAN
Tradition
A monument was erected in 1872
near the mouth of the Agusan
River at a spot that was then
within the municipal boundaries of
Butuan, but which today belongs
to the separate municipality of
Magallanes, named after
Magellan.

“To the Immortal Magellan: the People of Butuan

with their Parish Priest and the Spaniards
resident therein, to commensurate his arrival
and the celebration of the First Mass on this site
on the 8th of April 1521. Erected in 1872, under
District Governor Jose Ma. Carvallo.”
17th Century
At the end of three months and twelve days
Two Jesuit historians 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 island 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
Father Francisco Colin, SJ (1592- Buenas Senas [Good Omens] but to the
entire Archipelago they gave the name San
1660) Lazaro, being the Saturday of Saint Lazarus’
• Labor evangelica (work published in Sunday in Lent of the year 1521.
1663)
17th Century
On Easter Day, in the territory of
Two Jesuit historians Butuan, the first Mass ever offered in
these parts was celebrated and a cross
planted. Magellan then took formal
possession of the islands in the name of
the Emperor and of the Crown of
Castille.

The man who gave the most signal

service to our men was the chief of
Dimasaua, relative of the chief of
Father Francisco Colin, SJ (1592- Butuan and that of Zebu, whither he led
1660) the armada, which entered that harbour
at noon on the 7th of April, the Octave
• Labor evangelica (work published in of Easter.
1663)
17th Century
The first time that the royal standards of
Two Jesuit historians the Faith were seen to fly in this island
[of Mindanao] was when the
Archipelago was first discovered by the
Admiral Alonso [sic] de Magallanes. He
followed a new and difficult route
[across the Pacific], entering by the
Strait of Siargao, formed by that island
and that of Leyte, and landing at the
island of Limasaua which is at the
entrance of the Strait. Amazed by the
Father Francisco Combes, SJ novelty and strangeness of the
(1620-1665) [Spanish] nation and the ships, the
• Historia de Mindanao y Jolo (printed barbarians of that island welcomed
in 1667) them and gave them good
refreshments.
17th Century
While at Limasaua, enjoying rest and good
Two Jesuit historians treatment, they heard of the River of Butuan,
whose chieftain was more powerful. His
reputation attracted our men thither to see for
themselves or be disillusioned, their curiosity
sharpened by the fact that the place was
nearby. The barbarian [chief] lived up to our
men’s expectations, providing them with the
food they needed …. Magellan contented
himself with having them do reverence to the
cross which is erected upon ahillock was a sign
to future generations of their alliance …. The
solemnity with which the cross was erected and
Father Francisco Combes, SJ the deep piety shown by the Spaniards, and by
(1620-1665) the natives following the example of the
Spaniards, engendered great respect for the
• Historia de Mindanao y Jolo (printed cross.
in 1667)
17th Century
Not finding in Butuan the facilities required by
Two Jesuit historians the ships, they returned to Limasaua to seek
further advice in planning their future route.
The Prince of Limasaua told them of the three
most powerful nations among the Pintados
[Visayans], namely those of Caraga, Samar,
and Zebu. The nearness of Zebu, the facilities
of its port, and the more developed social
structure (being more monarchical) aroused
everyone’s desire to go thither. Thus, guided
by the chief of Limasaua, passing between
Bool and Leyte and close to the Camotes
Father Francisco Combes, SJ Islands, they entered the harbour of Cebu by
the Mandawe entrance on the 7th of April
(1620-1665) 1521, having departed from Limasaua on the
• Historia de Mindanao y Jolo (printed first day of that Month.
in 1667)
COLIN and COMBES Comparison

COLIN • Magellan visited both

COMBES
Butuan and Limasawa
• Magellan went first • Magellan visits
• It was from Limasawa and
to Butuan, then to with the help of Limasawa first;
Limasawa and Limasawa’s chieftain that from there he goes
the Magellan expedition
from there to Cebu went to Cebu.
to Butuan; then he
returns to
• Magellan arrived in Cebu Limasawa and
on the 7th of April 1521
then to Cebu
 The Rules of Evidence to
the True Identity of
Pigafetta’s Mazaua
by Celedonio Resurrecion
• Pigafetta in his account: “nouve
gradi et duo tersi” or nine degree
and two-third (Lat. 9 deg 00 min
North) toward Artic
• The location stated in Pigafetta’s
account was the same with the
logbook records presented by pilots
Albo (9 deg 00 min 40 sec North)
and Pancaldo (9 deg 00 min North),
Moluccas Governor Brito (9 deg 00
min North, from the records of the
captured Magellan‟s flagship–
Trinidad) as well as the Philippine
Gazetteer in 1945 (9 deg 00 min
North).
• From the other parts of Pigafetta‟s account:
a. The Humunu-Mazaua distance of 25 leguas
is equivalent to 1 deg 26 min, close to
Humunu-Mazaua (HomonhonMasao)
distance of 1 deg 45 min.
b. The distance between Mazaua and Cebu is
twenty leguas, and fifteen leguas from
Catighan to Cebu. Accordingly, modern
commercial vessels take the same route as
Magellan’s when going to Cebu from Masao
Port, Butuan. In addition, the sailing
distance of said vessels is exactly the same
as what Pigafetta noted for the Masao-
Catighan and Catighan-Cebu routes.
c. Mazaua, according to Pigafetta’s account
following Magellan‟s death, boarders
Chippit is a land belongs to the same land
as Butuan and Calaghan.
 Indirect Evidences
• There is a strong oral tradition, called
as the Oral Mazaua (Masao) Tradition,
which tells that Magellan went in the
Islet of Masao, a delta located at the
mouth of the Agusan River, long before
the Ambrosiana Manuscript of
Pigafetta was published in 1800 and
Robertson's translation in 1906.
• Gold was abundant in Mazaua and
Butuan.
• The Map of Mindanao, as presented in
Volume 33 of Blair and Robertson’s,
exhibits the regions of Beaniam,
Calagan, Butuan, Maguindanao, and
Chippit in their geographical
relationship on the island of Mindanao.
• The abundance of anime trees in
Mazaua, Butuan.
• The abundance of sago palm in Mazaua,
Butuan, which is endemic in Mindanao.
• Mazaua was a hunting ground according to
Pigafetta’s account. Masao in Butuan is
considered a “sportsman paradise” due to its
wildlife.
• Pigafetta observed that the drinking
ceremonies in Chippit, bounded by Mazaua,
were the same as those performed in Mazaua.
• The word Mazaua is a variant of Masao. It is
not Visayan, not Waray-waray, and not
particularly of the Samar and Leyte people and
their offshore islands.
• The port in Masao, Butuan is good for ships
with the absence of natural barriers like shoals
and coral reefs–suitable for Magellan‟s ships.
Name of the Place
•The name of the place in the original record
of Magellan’s expedition was only three
syllables - Masao, Masawa, Mazzawa. It was
said as four syllables (Limasawa) only by the
colonial historians who made a mistakes
about the place. Further, the narrative was
written in Spanish whereas, historians
weren’t able to read and transcript the exact
name of the place.
Name of the Place
• Local executives and church officials, as well as historians,
refilled a petition to the National Historical Institute (NHI)
asserting that Butuan City, particularly Mazaua island
(Barangay Pinamangculan) was the official site of the first
mass on Easter Sunday in 1521. Early accounts – mainly by
friars relying on available writings and on tradition –
reported the First Mass as being held in Butuan, Agusan del
Norte, specifically on an island called Masao. The latitude
position citing primary sources, he traced the route taken
by the Magellan expedition and concluded that 9 3⁄4
degrees latitude combined with his reading of longitude
coordinates in other sources led to Butuan as the site of the
Mass.
Route from Homonhon
• It was long ago when Magellan took his first circumnavigation of the
world. Upon his voyage, Magellan passed the Pacific Ocean and
continued his trip even though they were out of food. On March 16,
1521, their ship anchored on the island of Homonhon where Magellan
first set foot on the Philippines. In his account, Pigafetta, who is the
chronicler of Magellan’s ship described Homonhon as: “We found two
fountains of very clear water; we called it the Waters of Good Signs,”
having found the first sign of gold in the said island. There also can
be found much white coral and tall trees that bear fruits smaller than
an almond and look like pines. There were also many palm trees,
some of the good kind, some of the bad. There are many neighboring
islands. Hence, we called them the St. Lazarus Archipelago because
we stayed there on the day and feast of St. Lazarus.”
Route from Homonhon
According to the primary records
• The expedition travelled 20 to 25 leagues from Homonhon, their first landing point,
to the site of the first mass, taking a west southwest course. If they had been at
Limasawa Island, the distance is only about 14.6 leagues, or one half of that length.
Moreover, the island of Limasawa is blocked from Homonhon by the tip of Southern
Leyte.
• Some of the primary sources locate the place at 90 North latitude, and others at 9
2/3 degrees. The latitude position eliminates Limasawa, because it is closer by ten
degrees, and strengthens the claim of Masao, Butuan because it is exactly at nine
degrees.
• The route to Cebu taken by the explorers is almost exactly similar to the one now
taken by motor vessels from Cebu to Butuan. The King of Masao (Kolambu) even
guided the explorers to Cebu and acted as their interpreter and intermediary when
they met the Cebu king. On the contrary, there is no sea traffic from Limasawa to
Cebu, then or now. And the distance to Cebu, according to Pigaffeta, was 35 leagues
(140 miles). If it were Limasawa that they came, the distance would only be 80
miles, or only half of the alleged distance travelled.
Geographical Features
 Claim of
LIMASAWA
TWO PRIMARY ACCOUNTS ON
THE SITE OF THE FIRST MASS
Antonio Pigafetta
• Personal chronicler of Magellan

Francisco Albo
• Pilot of Trinidad
• One of the 18 survivors who returned to
Europe with Sebastian Elcano
• Member of Magellan expedition and an
eyewitness of the first mass
Evidence of Albo’s logbook
• On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a
westerly course from the Ladrones, they saw
land towards the northwest; but owing to many
shallow places they did not approach it. They
found later that its name was Yunagan.
• 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.
Evidence of Albo’s logbook
•Departing from those two islands, they
sailed westward to an uninhabited island of
“Gada” where they took in a supply of wood
and water. The sea around that island was
free from shallows.
•From that island they sailed westwards
towards a large island named Seilani which
was inhabited and was known to have gold.
(Seilani – or, as Pigafetta calls it, “Ceylon” –
was the island of Leyte.
Evidence of Albo’s logbook
• 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 a
latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.
• The people of that island of Mazava were 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.”
Evidence of Albo’s logbook
• 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 the saw three small
islands.
• 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”.
Evidence of Albo’s logbook
•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.
•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 had to go
(as they did) in a round-about way.
Evidence from Pigafetta
Primo viaggio intorno al mondo
(First Voyage Around the World)

Two excellent English translations:

(1) By Robertson (from the Italian)
(2) By Skelton (from the French)
Evidence from Pigafetta
Pigafetta’s Testimony Regarding the Route

• Saturday (March 16) – Arrived at Zamal

• Sunday (March 17) – Landed at Humunu
• Sunday (March 18) – Stayed on the land of Humunu
• Monday (March 25) – Left Humunu
• Thursday (March 28) – Landed on Mazaua (Stayed for
seven days)
• Thursday (April 4) – Left Mazaua
• Sunday (April 7) – Landed on Subu
Evidence from Pigafetta
Pigafetta’s Map

• First map - shows the large

island of Samar (in the map
it is spelt Zzamal), and the
smaller islands of Suluan,
Abaren, Hiunangan and
“Humunu” (Homonhon),
which is also described as
“Aguada ly boni segnaly.”
Evidence from Pigafetta
Pigafetta’s Map
• Second map – a double map.
One map shows the island of
Mindanao or Maguindanao (the
map spells it Mamgdanao). It
shows on the northern shore a
deep indentation which is
recognizably Panguil Bay. To the
west of that is “Cippit”. To the
extreme east, bordering on the
Pacific, are Butuan, Calagan, and
Benasan (spelt in the map Butuam,
Calagam,Benasam). The other map
shows the southern tip of
Zamboanga, the island of Basilan,
and the Sulu archipelago.
Evidence from Pigafetta
Pigafetta’s Map
• Third map – the one most
pertinent to our present
investigation, because it shows
the island of Mazaua (the map
spells it is Mazzana) in relation to
the “islands” of “Ceilon” and
“Baibai” (i.e. Leyte) and to those
of Bohol, Gatighan and the three
islands of the Camotes Group (in
the map called Polon, Pozon, and
Ticobon).
Evidence from Pigafetta
Comparing the maps, the following inferences seem justified:
1. Mazaua is a small island which lies off the southwestern
tip of the larger island of Ceilon (Southern Leyte), and is
to the east of the island of Bohol. It lies near the passage
between Bohol and the western coast of “Ceilon” (Leyte).
2. The island of Mazaua in Pigafetta’s map, therefore lies in
a position roughly equivalent to the actual position of the
island of Limasawa.
3. In no way can Mazaua be indentified with Butuan, which
is situated in another and much larger island (which we
now call Mindanao), the same island in which “Calagan”,
“Cippit”, and “Mamgdanao” are also located.
Evidence from Pigafetta
Two Native Kings

(1)The king of Mazaua

(2)The king or rajah of Butuan
• “the finest looking man”
• a visitor to Mazaua
That island of his was called Butuan and Calagan. When
those kings wished to see one another, they both went to
hunt in that island where we were.
Evidence from Pigafetta
Pigafetta Seven Days at Mazaua

• March 28 – Anchored near an island (Mazaua)

• March 29 – His slave interpreter ask the king if he could provide
supplies
• March 30 – Feast and drink with the native king and his son
• March 31 – Eucharistic celebration and planting of the cross
• April 1 – Sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was
done
• April 2 and April 3 – Work on the harvest during the “next two days”
• April 4 – Leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu
Evidence from Pigafetta
An Argument of Ommission

If the Magellan expedition were at the delta,

and if the Mass were celebrated there, why is
there no mention of the river?
 Evidence from Legazpi
Expedition
• Legazpi expedition, 1565, forty-four years after Magellan
• Inquired about “Mazaua” from Camotuan and his companions,
natives of the village of Cabalian at the southeastern end of
the island of Leyte.
• Legazpi ships rounded the island of “Panae” (Panaon), which
was separated from Leyte by a narrow strait, and anchored off
“Mazaua” – inhabitants found to be hostile
• From Mazaua they went to Camiguing, and from there they
intended to go to Butuan on the island of “Vindanao” but were
driven instead by contrary winds to Bohol.
TWO POSSIBLE LOCATIONS
OF MAZAUA
1. The evidence of Albo’s logbook
2. The evidence of Antonio
Pigafetta
1. The name of the place
a. Pigafetta’s testimony 2. The route from Homonhon
regarding the route
b. The evidence of Pigafetta’s 3. The geographical features
map a. Bonfire
c. The two native kings
d. The seven days at “Mazaua” b. Balanghai
e. An argument of Omission c. House
d. Abundance of Gold
3. Confirmatory evidence from the
Legazpi expedition e. Developed settlement

LIMASAWA, MASAO, BUTUAN

SOUTHERN LEYTE CITY
August 19, 2020
LIMASAWA in
Southern Leyte, is
the home of the
First Catholic Mass
in the country.

“The panel unanimously agreed that the

evidences and arguments presented by
the pro-Butuan advocates are not
sufficient and convincing enough to
warrant the repeal or reversal of the
ruling on the case by the NHI (National
Historical Institute).”