THE SITE OF THE FIRST MASS

Team Maginoo
Introduction of controversy
On March 31, 1521, an Easter
Sunday, Magellan ordered a Mass
to be celebrated which was
officiated by Father Pedro
Valderrama, the Andalusian
chaplain of the fleet, the only
priest then. Conducted near the
shores of the island, the First
Holy Mass marked the birth of
Roman Catholicism in the
Philippines.
Sides/Evidences of the
Controversy
The Site of the First Mass Evidence

Francisco Albo’s Diary Francisco Albo

was one of the eighteen survivors who
returned from the Magellan expedition
in 1521. As to record, he began
keeping his own diary or logbook on
the voyage where he narrates what
happened during the whole adventure,
including evidence from the first
mass's controversial site. The diary
retrieved held information about the
direction of Magellan’s expedition
during his travel to the Philippines.
In the diary, Albo stated that the
voyage was heading toward the
southern end of Limasawa. This thus
proves that the site of the first
mass took place in the island.
Antonio Pigaffeta’s Testimony

To further support Francisco

Albo’s diary, Antonio Pigaffeta,
also one of the voyagers from
the Spice Islands Expedition
(Magellan’s Expedition),
released a testimony that
strengthens the evidence of the
site of the first mass. He kept
maps and sketches regarding the
route of the expedition which
all then leads to the island of
Limasawa.
The Stand
Positive Stand

 First mass in Philippines

Date: March 31, 1521
Location: Most posibly mazaua, Southern Layte
Today, this site is widely believed by many historians and
government to be limawasa at the tip of southern Leyte.
Antonio Pagaffeta because he's a survivor, and he wrote his journal to
enlighten the people what really happened.
Negative Stand

▪ * (NHCP) Dismissed the butuan claim due to insufficient

evidences to change the government current position and
reaffirmed limasawa as the site of the first easter sunday
mass in the country
Final Stand

▪ There is absolutely no doubt that mass was celebrated in

limasawa on march 31 1521, because pigafetta did say so.
and we all know antonio pigafetta had a journal. it is
primary sources, his manuscript was enlighten us.