The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: Butuan or Limasawa

Primary Source: Albo’s Log

1. March 16, 1521, Saturday. The Spaniards went westward of the Ladrones and there they saw
an island, but they did not approach it because there were too many shallow areas. They later
found out that it is called Yunagan.
2. Instead, they sailed westwards to another island, Suluan (island barangay in Guiuan, Eastern
Samar). They anchored and saw small boats, but fled away when the Spaniards approached
them. (9 2/3 degrees N)
3. They sailed, again, westward to Gada (or Homonhon according to Pigaffeta at 10 degrees N, an
uninhabited island, and took supplies of water and wood.
4. From Gada, they sailed westward towards Seilani (Pigaffeta calls it Ceylon—an island in
Leyte, an inhabited island and was known to have gold).
5. They sailed southwards aling the coast of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small island called
Mazava (9 2/3 degrees N).
6. People of Mazava were very good. The Spaniards planted a cross upon a mountain-top, and
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 like peas and
lentils.”
7. They sailed northwards again toward Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in a
northwesterly direction, ascending up to 10-degree latitude where they saw three small islands.
8. They sailed westwards some ten leagues, and there they saw three islands. They stayed there
for a night, and in the morning, they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to a latitude 10
and 1/3 degree. They entered a channel between two islands, Matan and Subu.
9. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town 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 Suluan and Mazava. But
between Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boads could not go westward
directly, but has to go (as they did) in a roundabout way.

In Albo’s account, the location of Mazava fits the location of the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip
of Leyte, 9 degrees and 54 minutes North. Albo did not mention the first mass, but only the planting of the
cross upon a mountain top from which could be seen three islands to the west and southwest, which also
fits the southern end of Limasawa.

The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: Butuan or Limasawa | 1