The popularity of knowing where the "firsts" happened in history has been an easy way to trivialize

history, but this case study will not focus on the significance (or lack thereof) of the site of the First
Catholic Mass in the Philippines, but rather, use it as a historiographical exercise in the utilization of
evidence and interpretation in reading historical events.

Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass. In fact, this has been the case for three
centuries, culminating in the erection of a monument in 1872 near Agusan River, which commemorates
the expedition's arrival and celebration of Mass on 8 April 1521. The Butuan claim has been based on a
rather elementary reading of primary sources from the event.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the start of the twentieth century, together with the
increasing scholarship on the history of the Philippines, a more nuanced reading of the available
evidence was made, which brought to light more considerations in going against the more accepted
interpretation of the first Mass in the Philippines, made both by Spanish and Filipino scholars.

It must be noted that there are only two primary sources that historians refer to in identifying the site of
the first Mass. One is the log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot of one of Magellan's ship, Trinidad. He was
one of the 18 survivors who returned with Sebastian Elcano on the ship Victoria after they
circumnavigated the world. The other, and the more complete, was the account by Antonio Pigafetta,
Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage Around the World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a member of
the Magellan expedition and an eyewitness of the events, particularly, of the first Mass.

Primary Source: Albo's Log

Source: "Diario 6 derotero del viage de Magallanes desde el cabo se

S. Agustin en el Brazil hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao Victoria, escrito por Frandsco Albo," Document
no. xxii in Colleción de viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles desde fines del sigio
XV, Ba. Martin Fernandez de Navarrete (reprinted Buenos Aires 1945, 5

Vols) IV, 191-225. As cited in Miguel A. Bernad "Butuan or Limasawa?

The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A Journal
of Southern Philippines, Vol.

III, 1-35.

1. On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones, they saw land towards
the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they did not approach it. They found later that its
name was Yunagan.
2. They went instead that same day southwards to another small island named Suluan, and there they
anchored. There they saw some canoes but these fled at the Spaniards' approach. This island was at 9
and two-thirds degrees North latitude.

3. Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited island of "Gada" where
they took in a supply of wood and water. The sea around that island was free from shallows.(Albo does
not give the latitude of this island, but from Pigafetta's testimony, this seems to be the "Acquada" or
Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.)

4. From that island they sailed westwards towards a large island names Seilani that was inhabited and
was known to have gold.(Seilani - or, as Pigafetta calls it, "Ceylon" Leyte.)

- was the island of Leyte

5. Sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small
island called "Mazava." That

6. The people of the island of Mazava is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.

The people of that island of Mazava were very good. There the Spaniards planted a cross upon a
mountain-top, and from there they were shown three islands to the west and southwest, where they
were told there was much gold, "They showed us how the gold was gathered, which came in small
pieces like peas and lentils."

1. From Mazava they sailed northwards again towards Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in a
northwesterly direction, ascending up to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small islands.

2. From there they sailed westwards some ten leagues, and there they saw three islets, where they
dropped anchor for the night. In the morning they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to a latitude
of 10 and one-third degree. There they entered a channel between two islands, one of which was called
"Matan" and the other "Subu."

3. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town (la villa) of Subu
where they stayed many days and obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact with the local king.

4. The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of Suluan and Mazava. But between
Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not go westward directly but has to
go (as they did) in a round-about way.

It must be noted that in Alb's account, the location of Mazava fits the location of the island of Limasawa,
at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54N.

Also, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting of the cross upon a mountain-top from
which could be seen three islands to the west and southwest, which also fits the southern end of
Limasawa.

Primary Source: Pigafetta's Testimony on the Route of Magellan's Expedition

1. Saturday, 16 March 1521 - Magellan's expedition sighted a "high land" named "Zamal" which was
some 300 leagues westward of Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.

2. Sunday, March 17 - "The following day" after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on "another island
which was uninhabited" and which lay "to the right" of the above-mentioned island of "Zamal." (fo the
"right" here would mean on their starboard going south or southwest.) There they set up two tents for
the sick members of the crew and had a sow killed for them. The name of this island

was "Humunu" (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degree

North latitude.

3.

On that same day (Sunday. March 17), Magellan named the entire no hipalago the 'Islands of Saint
Lazarus," the reason being that it was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned com Ith
Miass and the liturgical Ofice was the eleventh chapter of st.

John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

4.

Monday, March 18 - In the afternoon of their second day on that island, they saw a boat coming
towards them with nine men in it.

An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food supplies, and the men went away, promising
to bring rice and other supplies in "four days."

1. There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon.Also they saw there some indications
that there was gold in these islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the island and called it the
"Watering Place of Good Omen" (Acquada la di bouni segniall).

2. Friday, March 22 - At noon the natives returned. This time they were in two boats, and they brought
food supplies.

3. Magellan's expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday of the
following week, March 25.

4. Monday, March 25 - In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of
Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day (March 25) was the feast-day of the Incarnation, also
called the feast of the Annunciation and therefore "Our Lady's Day." On this day, as they were about to
weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed
his narrow escape from death as grace obtained through

9.

the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast-day.

"toward the west southwest, between four islands: namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien."
Very probably "Cenalo" is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map calls
"Ceilon" and Albo calls "Seilani": namely the island of Leyte.

"Hiunanghan" (a misspelling of Hinunangan) seemed to Pigafetta to be a separate island, but is actually

Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing "toward the west southwest" past those islands.
They left Homonhon sailing westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southward, passing
between the island of Hibuson on their portside and Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and then
continued southward, then turning westward to "Mazaua."

1. Thursday, March 28 - In the morning of Holy Thursday, March28, they anchored off an island where
the previous night they had seen a light or a bonfire. That island "lies in a latitude of nine and two-thirds
towards the Arctic Pole (i.e., North) and in a longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the
line of demarcation.It is twenty-five leagues from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua."

2. They remained seven days on Mazaua Island.

3. Thursday, April 4 - They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu. They were guided thither by the king of Mazaua
who sailed in his own boat.Their route took them past five "islands" namely: "Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan,
Baibai, and Gatighan."

18. At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the three islands of the Camotes Group, namely, Poro, Pasihan
and Ponson. Here the Spanish ships stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch up with them, since
the Spanish ships were much faster than the native balanghai- -a thing that excited the admiration of
the king of Mazaua.

1. From the Camotes Islands they sailed southwards towards "Zubu."

2. Sunday, April 7 - At noon they entered the harbor of "Zubu" (Cebu). It had taken them three days to
negotiate the journey from Mazaua northwards to the Camotes Islands and then southwards to Cebu.

It must be pointed out that both Alb and Pigafetta's testimonies vincide and corroborate each other.
Pigafetta gave more details on what hey did during their weeklong stay at Mazaua.

Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua

Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, Vols. 33 and 34, as cited in
Miguel A. Bernad, "Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination
of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. III, 1-35.

1. Thursday, March 28 - In the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen a light the
night before a small boat (bolou cane with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as
presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger boats (balanghai) came, in one of
which the native king sat under an awning of mats. At Magellan's invitation some of the natives went up
the Spanish ship, but the native king remained seated in his boat. An exchange of gifts was effected. In
the afternoon that day, the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to shore, anchoring near the
native king's village. This Thursday, March 28, was Thursday in Holy Week, i.e., Holy Thursday.

2. Friday, March 29 - "Next day. Holy Friday," Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small boat
to ask the king if he could provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they had come as
friends and not as enemies. In reply the king himself came in a boat with six or eight men, and this time
went up Magellan's ship and the two men embraced. Another exchange of gifts was made. The native
king and his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of Magellan's expedition as
guests for the night. One of the two was Pigafetta.

3. Saturday, March 30 - Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and
drinking with the native king and his son. Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good Friday,
they had to eat meat. The following morning (Saturday) Pigafetta and his companion took leave of their
hosts and returned to the ships.

4. Sunday, March 31 - "Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter day," Magellan sent
the priest ashore with some men to prepare for the Mass. Later in the morning Magellan landed with
some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after which a cross was venerated. Magellan and the
Spaniards returned to the ship for the noon-day meal, but in the afternoon they returned ashore to
plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill. In attendance both at the Mass and at the planting of
the cross were the king of Mazaua and the king of Butuan.

5. Sunday, March 31 - On that same afternoon, while on the summit of the highest hill, Magellan asked
the two kings which ports he should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of food than were
available in that island. They replied that there were three ports to choose from: Ceylon, Zubu, and
Calagan. Of the three, Zubu was the port with the most trade. Magellan then said that he wished to go
to Zubu and to depart the following morning. He asked for someone to guide him thither. The kings
replied that the pilots would be available "any time." But later that evening the king of Mazaua changed
his mind and said that he would himself conduct Magellan to Zubu but that he would first have to bring
the harvest in. He asked Magellan to send him men to help with the harvest.

6. Monday, April 1 - Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that day
because the two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.

7. Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3 - Work on the harvest during the "next to days," i.e., Tuesday
and Wednesday, the 2nd and 3rd of April.

8. Thursday, April 4 - They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.

9. Using the primary sources available, Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his work Butuan or Limasawa:
The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines:

10. A Reexamination of Evidence (1981) lays down the argument that in the Pigafetta account, a crucial
aspect of Butuan was not mentioned--the river.
11. Butuan is a riverine settlement, situated on the Agusan River. The beach of Masao is in the delta of
said river. It is a curious omission in the account of the river, which makes part of a distinct characteristic
of Butuan's geography that seemed to be too important to be missed.