CHAPTER 7

THE
FIRST MASS SITE
IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 The First Voyage
Around The World
by Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta - A 16th century Italian navigator and
historian. Known by the name of Antonio Lambardo or
Francisco Antonio Pigafetta. Served as an assistant to
Ferdinand Magellan.
A short background on how Magellan’s fleet reach the
shores of where the true First Mass Site in the Philippines
was held.
- March 06, 1521. 3 small islands were discovered. Later
called Ladrone Island or Island of Thieves.
- Magellan sent off 40
armed men ashore
- A hundered small
boats followd
Magellan’s course.
- Palm Trees. Main
source of needs. From
food to daily necessities
and transportation.
- Fishing. Typical past
time of men and
women in this island
- March 16, 1521. After crossing
the Pacific Ocean, a name
coined by Magellan for its
tranquil waters, the expedition
team sighted the highest peak
on Samar Island which was
called “Zamal” at that time.
- March 17, 1521. The next day,
the captain-general wished to
land another unhabited island.
-March 18, 1521. A boat
came towards Magellan’s
crew. 9 Zuluam men.
 Cocho - A
fruit produced
Cochi - A by a Palm tree
kind of fruit which is as
that a Palm large as a head
Tree bears.

Palm Tree - A tree from which a liquor comes

out in drops down the tree, like whitemust,
which is sweet, but with somewhat of bitter.
- Zuluan Island. Island
where the native
Filipinos/Zuluam men
came from.
- Magellan had some
shots fired with his
artillery.
- Humunu Island. The
Watering Place of Good
Signs and where first
sign of Gold is seen
- Archipelago of St.
Lazarus. As seen by
Antonio and the rest,
they named this many
circumjacent islands
“The Archipelago of St.
Lazarus” because they
stayed there and feast on
the day of St. Lazarus.
- March 22, 1521.
The native Filipinos
came back as
promised.
- Schione. The lord of these
people was old, and had his
face painted, and had gold
rings suspended to his ears,
which they name Schione.
- Caphre. A kind of people who
wear holes so large that they can
pass their arms through them
- March 25, 1951. The
Monday of Passion
Week. Day of departure
from Humunu Island.
Course taken is
between west and
southwest and passed
amidst four small
islands namely Cenalo,
Huinanghar, Ibusson
and Abarien.
- March 28, 1951.
Stayed at an island and
saw a small boat which
is called a Boloto.
- Traprobana. A slave of
the captain’s who was from
Sumatra.

Enrique of Malacca
accompanied Magellan back
to Europe and onwards on
Magellan's search for a
westward passage to the
East Indies, and he served as
an interpreter for the
Spaniards. American historian
Laurence Bergreen cites
Magellan's claim to the
Spanish court that his slave
Enrique was a native of the
Spice Islands.
- Ballanghai. A long
boat.
- Largest man in the boat
sitting under an awning
of mats.
- Good Friday. The
Captain sent a message
to the King through the
interpreter which is the
Trapobrana.

- Cassi Cassi. A
brotherhood, peace
ceremony.
-Magellan gave
several gifts and
entertained the King.
- Antonio and one
of Magellan’s men
came with the King
ashore.
- Cane Mat. Banig
- Animé. Use for
candles or torches the
gum of this tree
wrapped up in leaves
of palms or fig trees.
- The King’s Brother.
Also a King but to
another island. Most
handsome native
Filipino that Antonio
met. His island is rich
in gold.
- Storax. Storax is an
oily resin (balsam)
obtained
from the tree trunks
of Liquidambar
orientalis or
Liquidambar
styraciflua. It is used
as medicine.
- Benzoin. The sap
(gum resin) that comes
from cuts in
the trunk of trees that
belong to the Styrax
family.

Benzoin is used on the

skin for ulcers, bed
sores (pressure
ulcers), cracked skin,
and many other
conditions
- Raia Calambu. Painted
King and ruler of Calagan
and Zuluan.
- Raia Siani. Painted King
and ruler of Calaghan and
Butuan.
- March 31, 1952. Sunday and Feast of Easter. The first ever Christan Mass held
in the Philippines.
- Aba. Name of the God the
native Filipinos adore or
praise.
BUTUAN OR LIMASAWA?
THE SITE OF THE FIRST
MASS IN THE
PHILIPPINES: A
REEXAMINATION OF THE
EVIDENCE
Miguel A. Bernard
▪ “The island we were at was named Humunu; nevertheless because we found there two
springs of very fresh water we named it the Watering Place of good signs, and because
we found here the first signs of gold. There is much white coral to be found here, and large
trees which bear fruit smaller than an almond, and which are like pines. There were also
many palm trees both good and bad. In this place there were many circumjacent islands,
on which account we named them the archipelago of St. Lazarus, because we stayed
there on the day and feast of St. Lazarus. This region and archipelago is in ten degrees
north latitude, and a hundred and sixty-one degrees longitude from the line of
demarcation. “
▪ “This island is in nine degrees and two-thirds north latitude, and one hundred and
sixty-two longitude from the line of demarcation : it is twenty-five leagues distant from
the other island where we found the two fountains of fresh water. This island is named
Mazzava. “
 BUTUAN TRADITION
▪ It was belived that the site of the first mass in the Philippines is in Masao, a place in Butuan.

▪ Butuan claims that a monument erected in 1872 near Agusan River, former poblacion known
today as the town of Magallanes.

▪ The said monument was a brick pillar that has a marble slab that contained an inscription and
was later on translated in English: "To the Immortal Magellan: The People of Butuan with their
Parish Priest and the Spaniards resident therein, to commemorate his arrival and the
celebration of the First Mass on this site on the 8th of April 1521. Erected in 1872, under the
District Governor Jose Ma. Carvallo."

▪ The given date for the first Mass can be an error, or it can be an attempt to translate the original
date in terms of the Gregorian calendar.
LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN
LEYTE

BUTUAN CITY IN
MINDANAO
17th CENTURY

▪ FR. FRANCISCO COLIN S.J. (1592-1660) – one of the

Jesuit historian.
▪ Labor Evangelica - a Spanish book thaat was first
published in Madrid in 1663.
- 3 volume edition annotated by FR. PABLO
PASTELLS S. J.

20XX
17TH CENTURY
▪ FR. FRANCISCO COMBES, S.J. (1620-1665) – live
and worked as a missionary in the Philippines
- gives a different route that was undertaken by
Magellan
▪ HISTORIA DE MINDANAO Y JOLO – printed in
Madrid in 1667
- reissued 230 years afterwards in a handsome
edition edited by WENCESLAO RETANA assisted by Fr.
Pastells

20XX
18TH CENTURY

▪ Several historians misunderstood the writing of

Colins and make a different interpretation
▪ FRAY JUAN DE LA CONCEPTION (1724-1787) - was
one of those who made errors
▪ HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES – a 14 volume and
was published in Manila after his death.
GOING BACK TO COLIN’S WRITINGS
CONCEPTION’S VERSION
19th CENTURY
▪ FRAY JOAQUIN MARTINEZ DE ZUNIGA (1760-1818) -

accept the Butuan tradition

▪ HISTORIA DE FILIPINAS - published in Sampaloc in

1803

20XX
ZUNIGA’S VERSION
JOHN FOREMAN’S VERSION
SHIFT IN OPINION

▪ FR. PABLO PASTELLS S. J. would annotate Colin and

Zuniga’s work.
▪ He would also collaborate with Retana
▪ Restudied the two primary sources: Pigafetta’s
Account and Albo’s log

20XX
EVIDENCES
FRANCISCO ALBO
▪ Boatswain and a navigator from the island of
Rhodes
▪ Join Magellan’s expedition as a pilot in flagship
“Trinidad”
▪ One of the 18 survivors of Sebastian Elcano “Victoria”
▪ Keep diary – log book

20XX
ALBO’S LOG
▪ March 16, 1521 - as they sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones, they saw land
towards the northwest; named Yunagan.
▪ They went instead that same day southwards to another small island named Suluan,
and there they anchored.
▪ Departing from two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited island of Gada
where they took in a supply of wood and water.
▪ They sailed westwards towards a large island names Selanai, Pigafetta call it Ceylon –
was island of Leyte.
▪ Sailing southwards along the coast of Selanai and turned to a small island called
Mazava.
▪ They planted a cross upon a mountain top. From there they were shown 3 islands to the
west and southwest and they enter a channel between two island name Matan and
ANTONIO
PIGAFETTA
The First Voyage Around the
World by Magellan
PIGAFETTA’S TESTIMONY ON THE ROUTE
OF MAGELLAN’S EXPEDITION
▪ Saturday, March 16, 1521 - Magellan’s expedition sighted a high land named Zamal
which was some 300 leagues westward of Ladrones ( now the Marianas) Islands.

▪ Sunday, March 17, 1521 - they landed on another island which was uninhabited and lay
to the right of the above mentioned island of Zamal. This island name Humunu
(Homonhon)

▪ Same day March 17, 1521 – Magellan named the entire archipelago the “Island of Saint
Lazarus”, Sunday in Lenten season when Gospel assign was 11th chapter of St. John,
raising of Lazarus from the dead

▪ Monday, March 18, 1521 – they saw a boat coming with 9 men in it and an exchange of
gifts was effected. Magellan asked for for supplies and they promise to bring rice and
PIGAFETTA’S TESTIMONY ON THE ROUTE
OF MAGELLAN’S EXPEDITION
▪ They saw some indications that there was a gold in these islands. Consequently Magellan
renamed the island and called it the “Watering Place of Good Omen”

▪ Friday, March 22, 1521 – natives returned and they were in two boats, and they brought
food supplies. They stayed 8 days in Homonhon.

▪ Monday, March 25, 1521 – left the island of Homonhon, it was the feast day of the
Incarnation, also the feast of the Annunciation and therefore “Our Lady’s Day”

▪ 4 islands after Homonhon are:

▪ 1. Cenalo – Ceilon

▪ 2. Huinanghan – Hinunangan, mainland of Leyte

PIGAFETTA’S TESTIMONY ON THE ROUTE
OF MAGELLAN’S EXPEDITION
▪ 3. Ibusson – east of Leyte

▪ 4. Albarien

▪ Thursday, March 28, 1521 - Holy Thursday, they anchored off an island. This island is in nine

degrees and two-thirds north latitude, and one hundred and sixty-two longitude from the line of
demarcation. This island is named Mazaua. “

▪ Sunday, March 31, 1521 – Easter Sunday, First mass and planting of cross happened 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.

▪ Thursday, April 4, 1521- they leave in Mazaua, bound to Cebu.

IMPORTANCE
OF BUTUAN
▪ The first place in Mindanao were Christian mission was establish

▪ 1872- monument erected at Magallanes near Butuan

▪ 1953- petition submitted at National Historical Commission for rehabilitation and

re-erected of Butuan Monument.

▪ Luis Montilla - chairman of National Historical Commission

RA NO. 2733 APPROVED: JUNE 19, 1960
 The National Historical Institute (NHI), officially settled the long-
standing controversy over the site of the recorded First Mass in
1998 the Philippines on March 31, 1521 between Limasawa,
Southern Leyte and Masao, Butuan City in Mindanao. The NHI
decided that the site is in Limasawa.
THANKYOU
DELA CRUZ, MARCO G.
EVANGELISTA, HEART A.
GED 105 I ARC-2108