Evidence
Examining Pigafetta’s Latitude Coordinates as Evidence for Butuan as the First Mass
Site
Antonio Pigafetta’s recorded latitude of 9°2/3N for the location of the first mass in the
Philippines provides critical evidence supporting Butuan over Limasawa. Pigafetta, the
chronicler of Magellan’s voyage, documented the geographical position of Mazaua, where
the expedition landed and celebrated Easter Sunday Mass on March 31, 1521. His precise
coordinates, when compared with modern maps, align with Butuan rather than Limasawa,
making this navigational detail a strong basis for reevaluating the official site.
Historical cartographic analysis supports Pigafetta’s latitude measurement as
corresponding more closely to Butuan. According to Dr. Potenciano Malvar’s presentation
to the Mojares Panel, Pigafetta’s reported coordinates of 9°2/3N place Mazaua near
Masao, Butuan, which lies at approximately 8°57’N to 9°N, rather than Limasawa, which is
at 9°55’N. This discrepancy is significant, as navigators of the era, including Magellan’s
pilots like Francisco Albo, relied on latitude readings to document their journey. Albo’s
own log, which recorded the fleet's movements, also suggested a location consistent with
Butuan’s position rather than Limasawa. Early historians, including Fr. Francisco Colin
(1663) and Gaspar de San Agustin (1698), identified Mazaua with Masao in Butuan, based
on Pigafetta’s descriptions. Colin’s Labor Evangelica and San Agustin’s Conquistas de las
Islas Filipinas both refer to Butuan as the site of Magellan’s mass, reinforcing those early
Spanish accounts aligned with Pigafetta’s geographic data. These historical references
were widely accepted until later reinterpretations of Pigafetta’s accounts shifted scholarly
consensus towards Limasawa, despite the misalignment with recorded latitude readings.
The argument for Butuan is further supported by the nature of Pigafetta’s documentation.
His latitude readings were meticulously recorded, as he was tasked with maintaining a
detailed journal of the expedition. Unlike debatable place names, navigational coordinates
provide a verifiable metric that can be cross-referenced with modern geography. The
historical acceptance of Butuan, coupled with Pigafetta’s precise latitude, underscores
the need to critically reexamine the current designation of Limasawa as the first mass site.
Given the weight of Pigafetta’s navigational records, early historical accounts, and modern
cartographic analysis, the evidence strongly suggests that the first Catholic mass in the
Philippines was held in Butuan, not Limasawa. A reassessment of historical recognition is
imperative to ensure that official historical narratives accurately reflect the best available
evidence.
References:
- Mojares Panel (2020), The Final Report of the Mojares Panel on the Butuan-Limasawa
Controversy on the Location of the 1521 First Easter Sunday Mass in the Philippines.
= Pigafetta, A. (1521). Primo Viaggio Intorno al Mondo.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42824
- Colin, F. (1663). Labor Evangelica.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42534
- de San Agustin, G. (1698). Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas.
https://archive.org/details/conquistasdelasi00sanu
- Malvar, P. (2018). Pigafetta’s 9°2/3N, ‘Hidden Facts’.
https://nqc.gov.ph/en/resources/
