One Past, But Many Histories, Controversies, and Conflicting Views in Philippine History
1. Site of the First Mass
2. Cavite Mutiny
3. Cry of Balintawak or Pugadlawin
Three of the controversies that have continuously been subjects of discussions, conflicting at times
misunderstandings among friends who differ in their views about them are the: site of the first mass in
the Philippines, the Cavite Mutiny, and the Cry of Balintawak.
Site of the First Mass
As chronicled by Antonio Pigafetta, the first mass in the Philippines archipelago was celebrated on
March 31, 1521, along the shores of what was referred to by him as Mazaua.
Mazaua- An island located at the tip of Southern Leyte. It was believed to be Limasawa.
In commemoration of the birth of Christianity in the Philippines, RA No. 2733 was enacted on June 19,
1960 – it is also known as Limasawa Law.
Limasawa Law – it declared the site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in Leyte as a national shrine, the
place having been the site of the first Mass in the Philippines. However, this law was not signed by
the President.
The declaration of Limasawa as the site of the first Mass in the Philippines as embodied in the
unsigned law was contested by some
historians.
SONIA ZAIDE: She identified Masao in Butuan as the location of the first Christian Mass
CONGRESSWOMAN CHING PLAZA – She filed a bill in Congress in 1995 contesting the Limasawa
claim, asserting that Butuan was the site of the First Mass. The controversy about the first Mass was
referred to the National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines) for
further study and recommendation.
After further study Dr. Samuel K. Tan, then Chairman of the NHI, reaffirmed Limasawa as the site of
the first Mass in the Philippines.
The Cavite Mutiny
• One of the most significant events in Philippine History that happened in 1872
• It was an uprising by the Filipino civil guards because of the removal of specific privileges
such as tax exemption and exemption from forced labor
Differing Accounts
Spanish Perspective
1. Governor General Rafael Izquierdo - he used this event as a vehicle to implicate the Filipino priests
who were then active in their secularization of the Philippine parishes’ campaign.
2. Jose Montero y Vidal - According to him it as a “revolution,” an attempt by the Indios to topple
down
the Spanish government in the Philippines.
- They both believed that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was planned earlier, that it was a conspiracy
among
the educated, the mestizos, the native lawyers, citizens of Manila, Cavite and the Filipino priest.
Filipino Perspective
1. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera - the Cavite event was just a mutiny of the natives, soldiers and workers
in
the Cavite arsenal who were disheartened because of the removal of the privileges which they
used to
enjoy earlier
2. Edmund Plauchut - the Cavite Mutiny happened because of discontent of the arsenal workers
and
soldiers in Cavite fort which originated from the order of the governor general Izquierdo to collect
taxes from Filipino civil guards and perform forced labor
The Cry of Pugadlawin
- refers to a pivotal moment in the Philippine Revolution, where Andrés Bonifacio and members of
the Katipunan tore their cedulas, symbolizing their rejection of Spanish rule. This act took place in
August 1896 in Pugadlawin (now part of Quezon City) and is seen as the official start of the
revolution against Spain, marking the beginning of the Filipinos' struggle for freedom and
independence. It unified revolutionaries in their goal to overthrow the Spanish colonial government.
