Janmar B.

Octaviano
BTLED-ICT 1-2

1. Discuss the relevance of the primary sources in the study of Philippine

history. What are its advantages vis-à-vis those of the secondary sources?
You may cite an example from the sources included in this module to prove
your claim.
Primary sources offer unfiltered data and first-hand proof. It gives you with concrete
proof concerning the individuals, occasions, or occurrences that you are researching.
This is significant for historical research since it opens up a wealth of information about
the past. On the other hand, secondary sources is important because they provide a
different perspective on the primary source. To establish a data of information about a
specific primary source, it describes, interprets, or synthesizes that source. Hence, both
sources are valuable to people because they give us a glimpse into the past.
But when it comes to importance, primary sources far outweigh secondary sources.
This is due to the fact that primary sources are more in-depth because the material is
provided by those who were directly involved in the event, which provides us a greater
understanding of that period. Examples of this include the following:
An excerpt from Katipunan and the Revolution: Memoirs of a General by Santiago V.
Alvarez
General Apoy was hurt by these words of Mr. Montenegro. He quickly stood up and
looked angrily at the previous speaker. “We of the Katipunan” he began “are under the
jurisdiction of our respected Higher Council of the Sons of the People. This council is
the defender of, and has authority over, the Magdiwang and Magdalo governments of
Cavite. We are true revolutionaries fight ing for freedom of the native land. We are not
bandits who rob others of their property and wealth. Nor should we be likened to beasts,
for we know how to protect and defend others, especially the political refugees who
seek asylum with us. We are rational and we do not expose those who talk big but do
not accomplish anything. If you want to establish a different kind of government that is
to your liking, you must do as we have done: Go back to your localities and snatch them
from Spanish control! Then you can do what pleases you; but don’t you dare seek
refuge among cowards who might call you bandits and beasts. And for everybody’s
satisfaction, I am now ordering your arrest! “
Another excerpt is The First Voyage Around the World (1519-1522): An Account of
Magellan’s Expedition by Antonio Pigafetta
On March 16, 1521 they were able to land in the island of Zamal (Samar). Their arrival
coincided with the day of the Feast of St. Lazarus that is why Magellan named the
Islands that he and his men saw as the Archipelago of St. Lazarus. They then went to
Humunu (Homonhon) where they met the rulers of Butuan and Caraga, Rajah Siagu
and Rajah Colambu. On March 27, 1521, they left Homonhon and reached Masao
(Mazaua?) in Butuan on the following day. Magellan and Rajah Colambu made a blood
compact as a sign of their friendship. On March 31, 1521, Fr. Pedro de Valderrama
offered a mass. The crew later installed a cross on the mountains, signifying the
conquest of the land.
With that in mind, we can see the importance of a primary source since it provides us
with insight about the past. We was able comprehend how events affected people’s
emotions and how they perceived such occurrences at the time. Without a primary
source, the reliability of studying history based on a secondary source is impossible
because both need a primary source to obtain the information. Hence, when studying
our history, primary materials are far more significant than the other.

2. In your opinion, what else is another event in Philippine History which is

controversial? What makes the event controversial? What are it conflicting
sides? Cite specific details to prove your claim. Which side, do you think,
is more reliable or convincing? Why?
Controversial issues and topics is not new to Philippines. Even today, issues like this
can happen all of the sudden. With that said, there is one of event that in my opinion is
controversial to me which is the Catholic Mass in the Philippines.
What makes this controversial?
The first Catholic mass was held in the Philippines on March 31, 1521, following
Ferdinand Magellan’s landing on the islands, which he had previously referred to as the
Archipelago of St. Lazarus. This event marked the beginning of Roman Catholicism in
our country. However, there is still debate over the mass’s exact position when it
happens. This is because a Golden Tara was found in Butuan, which led to several
Filipino historians began to doubt the truth of the original belief that the mass had taken
place on the island of Limasawa in Leyte. According to Pigafetta, the first Christian
Mass was held on an island he referred to as “Mazaua.” Then, The National Historical
Commission of the Philippines was asked to recommend a historical finding in 1996 by
the Philippine Congress. In 1998, the panel and the NHCP reiterated that Limasawa is
the place it happens; even with that, the debate continues to this day.
What is its conflict?
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) claims that the first mass
took place on Limasawa in order to resolve the debate over the location of the 1521
Easter Sunday Mass in the nation by favoring Limasa in Southern Leyte rather than
Masao in Butuan Leyte. On the other side, this is refuted by a Butuan local historian
who believes that the first Catholic Mass was celebrated in Mazawa, a location in
Butuan that is today known as Masao, not at Limasawa Island in Leyte as mentioned in
the history book.
In that, I mostly believes the theory about Limasawa —where the First Mass in the
Philippines actually took place—is the more trustworthy of the two. This is due
Pigafetta’s tale is historically accurate, where he narrated that the harbor they land on
was on an island called Mazua rather than Butuan (Masawa) Moreover, Francisco Albo,
the pilot of Magellan’s flagship, did not recall the first mass but he writes that they
erected a cross on a mountain that overlooked three islands to the west and the
southwest. Additionally, the NHCP adopting the advice of a panel of experts reiterating
past findings that the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass was celebrated in Limasawa and not in
Butuan, as some historians have claimed.

Reference
Primary Sources
Alvarez, S. V. (1996). Katipunan and the revolution: Memoirs of a general (P.C. Malay,
Trans.). Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
De Navarrete, M. F..(1837). Coleccion de los viajes y descubrimientos que hicieron por
Mar los espanoles desde fines del siglo XV. Madrid: Imprenta Nacional.

Secondary Sources
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Mass_in_the_Philippines