Position Paper

Topic:
The Location of the First Mass

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

To be submitted to:
Ms. Pinky Panlubasan

Submitted by:
ALCAIDE, Roselyn B.
ALJIBE, Pierce Bastian A.
APATCHICHA, Johncarlo S.
ATIZADO, Evalyn M.
BAUTISTA, Angeline R.
BAQUIGO, John Lawrence D.
BARONA, Ma. Kiersten Charrize R.
BELARTE, Rica Mari A.
BELEN, Andrea F.
BULOS, Nhorlyn M.

BSHM 112

Date of submission: 16 November 2021

Portugal, died on April 27, 1521 in Mactan

Philippines. He was a Portuguese Navigator and

Explorer who sailed under the flag of both Portugal

and Spain. Our topic is all about the location of the

first mass. Based on our research On March 31,

1521 the first mass was held in Limasawa Island

province Leyte. The people involved are Ferdinand

Magellan, Father Pedro Balderrama, Raja

Kolambu, and Raja Siagu.

Evidence of the First Mass

The site of the first mass occurred in Limasawa Island province in Southern Letye. This

claim was proven by historians. Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar, and explorer was the

chronicler of the Magellan expedition. Per Pigafetta, evidence that the Easter Sunday Mass

happened in Limasawa was stated in his journal. The site of the first mass was held on Philippine

soil which was an island lying off the Southern tip of Leyte which is Mazaua. The position of

Mazaua, as plotted by Pigafetta, matched that of Limasawa. He tells us that the first mass was

held at Easter Sunday, the 31st of March 1521, on Mazaua. The Rajah of Mazaua and the Rajah

of Butuan, two native chieftains were present that day. Magellan met Rajah Kolambu from

Limasawa and Rajah Siagu from Butuan, and to give respect to them, Ferdinand Magellan
agreed to do the ritual called "Sanduguan" where they will shed blood and they will drink it.

After the celebration at morning, which was officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama, around

afternoon, a cross was carried and placed at the summit of the highest nearby hill. Francisco

Albo, who was pilot of Magellan’s ship, stated that after planting the cross, they overlooked the

3 islands from west to southwest.

An evidence to support our claims is according to the accounts of Antonio Pigafetta and

logs of Francisco Albo, they were two eye-witnesses of Magellan’s voyage. Albo stated that the

first mass took place on an island called Mazava while Pigafetta stated it was on an island called

Mazaua. From the island of Homonhon, they went westward towards the island of Leyte and

turned to a southwest direction to reach the island. Based on these geographic locations provided

by Albo and Pigafetta, the island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte is the counterpart. Another

evidence involves the two chieftains that they met in the island of Mazaua. According to Albo

and Pigafetta, they met the Rajah of Limasawa and Rajah of Butuan who was said to be visiting

the island. Magellan did not go to Butuan to meet the king there. This evidence opposes the book

Historia de Mindanao y Jolo written by Francisco Combes S.J., a missionary in the Philippines.

He stated in his book that Magellan went to Butuan because they heard the king of Butuan is

more powerful which made them want to meet him. They were satisfied with the king which led

them to plant a cross on a hill as a sign of alliance in the future. In this case, Pigafetta and Albo’s

accounts are most agreeable because they are eyewitnesses and considered as first-hand

accounts. Pigafettas work is more detailed and a reliable source of information regarding the

voyage compared to claims stated by secondhand accounts.

Another evidence would be Pigafetta’s day-to-day account of their stay in Mazaua Island

that lasted for seven days. Within the span of this seven days, they met the kings, conducted the
first mass, worked on the harvests, and left Mazaua bound for Cebu. However, until at least the

19th century, the prevailing belief was that the first mass was held in Butuan. This belief is

maintained by some, who assert that the first mass was instead held at Masao, Butuan. To end

the conflict for the issue about the first mass, the NHI (National Historian Institute) the

forerunner of NHCP (National Historical Commission of the Philippines) later resolved this issue

through two panels of experts. Emilio Gancayco in 1995, a former Supreme Court Justice and

the second by Benito Legarda in 2008, a historian. Both ruled the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday

Mass was in Limasawa Island. Also, according to NHCP chair Rene Escalante, “The panel

unanimously agreed that the evidence 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.” It must be pointed out that the testimonies given by Pigafette and Albo matches.

The only difference is that Pigafette provided a more detailed description of their stay in Mazaua.

Although the evidence presented came from mainly few accounts, these evidence are considered

as primary sources.

The Stands

Positive stand

On June 19, 1960 the National Historical Commission of the Philippines board of

commissions signed a resolution (Republic Act No. 2733) As well as the government declared

that the first mass is really held in Limasawa, Leyte. Even though there is also a law that

declared Limasawa as the place where the first Mass was held, there’s a possibility that they only

want to detour us to the truth that Butuan is the real place where it is held because there’s a lot of

evidence that leads to the conclusion that the first Mass was held in Masao, Butuan. That’s why
the researchers recommended that the future researchers should conduct a further research and

find additional information to strengthen this claim. In fact, the National Historical Institute

repeated a much earlier Congressional error. You see, in June 19, 1960, Republic Act 2733

lapsed into law, “without Executive approval.” President Macapagal did not sign it. That

legislation declared Limasawa a National Shrine because it was there that “the First Mass in the

Philippines was held.” The first point is the testimony of route and map made by Pigafetta about

“Mazaua Island” where the first mass happened. Limasawa is an island lying off the

southwestern tip of Leyte while Butuan is a city located in Caraga Region. As described, Butuan

is a river settlement and situated near the delta of Agusan River that is not mentioned in the

account of the witness. In line with this, Mazaua located lies in the latitude of nine and two-

thirds towards Arctic pole and longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of

demarcation.

The description of the island is deemed fit with the island of Limasawa, an island on the

southern tip of Leyte with coordinates of nine degrees and fifty-four degrees north. The fact that

there is no mention of the river that describes the Mazaua Island and geographic evidence that

showed the first mass took place in Limasawa. It is further strengthened by the evidence that it

was only after 22 years, in 1543—when a Spanish expedition led by Ruy López de Villalobos

landed in Mindanao. Countless people pursue the historic truth regarding the topic on the birth of

Christianity in the Philippines based on honesty, independent-mindedness, critical truth, and

truth were only wherever the search leads and whatever it’s finding. And to that, we strongly

believe that the first ever Christian Mass in the country on March 31, 1521, was celebrated in the

island of Limasawa, South of Leyte and not in Butuan City, so declared the National Historical

Institute (NHI).
 Negative Stand

The first Holy Mass was celebrated not in the Visayas but in Mindanao because that

historical event, that first step to staking territory in the name of God and King, occurred not in

Limasawa which is part of the Visayas, but in Butuan (Mazaua) situated in northern Mindanao.

Local executives and Church officials as well as historians here said they have new scientific

evidence to substantiate the re-filing of a petition before the National Historical Institute (NHI)

asserting that Butuan City — particularly Mazzaua Island, now Barangay Pinamangculan — was

the official site of the first Mass on Easter Sunday in 1521. Father Joesilo Amalia- trustee of the

Butuan cultural and historical foundation Inc. and curator of the Butuan Diocese museum. June

19, 1960- RA. No. 2733 “declaration of Magallanes,Limasawa as the national Shrine of first

Mass ever held in the Country”. Butuan City Cultural and Historical Foundation Inc. contested

the Declaration in early 1980’s-90. According to BCHFI there are 28 gathered new pieces of

scientific evidence and comparison between the Two Island (Mazzaua and Limasawa) 10

recovery of Balahanghai boat in 1976 near Masao river. According to Potenciano R. Malvar, A

local historian. Is a long-time advocate for the recognition of Butuan as the place where the first

Catholic mass was celebrated in 1521 and also said, He made extensive research not only here in

the Philippines but also abroad, including Spain and Portugal, and made researches and studies

on the life and travels of Ferdinand Magellan. He recalled that Mojares' group is the third panel

the government created to resolve the controversies on the first Catholic mass site; the first was
the panel led by Supreme Court Justice Emilio Gancayco in 1995 and that of Dr. Benito Legarda

Jr. in 2008.

The Final Stand

The topic of the First Mass that happened here in the Philippines is still very confusing.

There are a lot of arguments claiming that the island of Butuan is where the first mass was held.

The First Mass was said to have taken place in Butuan, Agusan del Norte, precisely on an island

called Masao, according to early accounts—mostly by friars relying on extant documents and

tradition. The First Mass debate is still raging, and historians have been called in to help resolve

it. It got to the point where, in a judgement issued a few years ago, the National Historical

Institute determined that the historical First Mass in the Philippines was really held on Limasawa

Island. But by searching for more evidence the First mass really happened in the Limasawa

Island, Leyte. There was a conclusion drawn by Dr. Antonio Sanchez de Mora presented his

findings as the centrepiece of the "500th Anniversary of the Mass at Limasawa.” According to

Mora, sources about the Magellan's historic expedition around the world. Based on the primary

sources and the maps from the 16th century confirmed that the island of Mazaua was the site of

an Easter Sunday Mass on March 31, 1521 and on that hill on this island, a cross was raised to be

seen from afar. By knowing the truth where the first mass was held is very important. Because

the Christianity became a part of our culture and tradition here in Philippines. We as a Filipino

we must know the truth behind our culture we grow with for us to know if we are living with the

truth or a lie.
 References:

References For Evidence:

Mayol, A. J. V. G. (2020, August 21). Limasawa, not Butuan, affirmed as site of first Mass in

PH. INQUIRER.Net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1325039/limasawa-not-butuan-

affirmed-as-site-of-first-mass-in-ph

Mojica, D., & Profile, V. M. C. (2019, September 19). RPH Site of the First Mass. Blog Spot.

https://sirdenzmodules.blogspot.com/2019/09/rph-site-of-first-mass.html

Bernad, M. A. (2013, January 17). Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the

Philippines: A Reexaminationof the Evidence | Bernad | Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and

Culture. Budhi. https://journals.ateneo.edu/ojs/index.php/budhi/article/view/582/579

Abatayo, R. (2019, November 14). Limasawa or Butuan? Debates continue on where first Mass

was held. INQUIRER.Net. https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/270037/limasawa-or-

butuan-debates-continue-on-where-first-mass-was-held#ixzz6ZoENlKCP

Makabenta, Y. (2019, January 30). Magellan never went to Butuan. The Manila Times.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/01/31/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/Magellan-

never-went-to-butuan/504604/
References For Positive Stand:

Arnaiz, J. (1999, April 15). 1st Mass controversy: It’s Limasawa - FEATURES. Tripod.

https://firstcircumnavigator.tripod.com/limasawa.htm

Orejas, T. (2020, August 16). Resolving debate on site of first Mass in PH. Inquirer News.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1322266/resolving-debate-on-site-of-first-mass-in-ph/amp

References For Negative Stand:

Serrano, B. (2006, April 2). Butuan to pursue claim it was site of First Mass in RP 485 years

ago. Philstar.Com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2006/04/02/329389/butuan-

pursue-claim-it-was-site-first-mass-rp-485-years-ago?

fbclid=IwAR3wjmCdfQgypmudrsb-

aNR65wRWuFdPPMacz_lGh1XYn7iKJx2ILC5Q1qc

Lopez, A. (2021, March 19). Quest to name Butuan site of first Catholic mass takes legal turn.

Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134168?

fbclid=IwAR1EkQMyEVDL4zEF0QPfzgkvaHRaV6qCR2AdI6BBjfYkjzUf8iyvele0k-8

Araneta, G. C. (2021, February 25). First Holy Mass controversy. Manila Bulletin.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/02/25/first-holy-mass-controversy/?

fbclid=IwAR2_mQ3VRqyAhN0GOX0VYgFIwzUkyV20yuJzpQqRbpVIdL6Url0PSOb1

m5M

References For Final Stand:

Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2015/01/23/featured-columns/columnists/first-mass-

philippines-held/157730?fbclid=IwAR1WCdBWwzETkpbdX-

pMRQ66l3m2PvbRIALJlyK-Yk18wUIXrl-Kwx7AHc4

Regidor, A. (2021, April 16). Limasawa vs. Butuan: the first Easter Mass. UPDate Diliman.

https://upd.edu.ph/limasawa-vs-butuan-the-first-easter-mass/?

fbclid=IwAR3HGn2IbtYq3FrXR2R147jcCY_-9r5LDKgpDoICUy1Eu-

tOXXa3UuETDf8

Laya, J. (2021, May 30). Where and when was the First Mass held? Manila Bulletin.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/31/where-and-when-was-the-first-mass-held/?

fbclid=IwAR0zFF1iXr4jrMVOSv0GGAIiyjXoKBp_4PLeFXocHK3TX0S

Butuan, A. (2021, November 13). Site of the First Mass, After 488 years Controversy Continues.

Blog Spot. http://amazingbutuan.blogspot.com/2009/04/site-of-first-mass-after-488-

years.html?fbclid=IwAR2KXdPMAT2lvsByvQVjlAF3kqJd60VssqNz-

2JMVfeXxowaBaP6_L895CA