Case Study 1: Where did the First Catholic Toward the end of the 19th century and the

Mass take place in the Philippines? start of the 20th century, together with the
increasing scholarship on the history of the
Introduction Philippines, and more nuanced reading of the
The Age of Exploration is a period of available evidence was made, which brought
competition among European rulers to to light more consideration in going against
conquer and colonize lands outside their the more accepted interpretation of the first
original domain. Mass in the Philippines, made both by
Spanish and Filipino scholars.
 Initially, the goal was to find alternative
routes by sea to get to Asian the main It must be noted that there are only 2 primary
source of spices and other sources that historians refer to an identifying
commodities. the site of the mass.
 Existing routes to Asian we're mainly  The log kept by Francisco Albo, one
by land and cost very expensive and of the pilots of one of Magellan's
sea route to Asia means that ship, Trinidad. He was one of the 18
Europeans could access the spice survivors who returned with Sebastian
trade directly, greatly reducing costs Elcano in the ship Victoria after they
for traders. circumnavigated the world.
Spain's major foray into the exploration was  the account by Antonio Pigafetta (the
through Christopher Columbus, who more complete), Primo Viaggio Intorno
proposed to sail westward to find a shortcut al Mondo, (The Voyage Around the
to Asia. World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a
member of the Magellan expedition
 He was able to reach the Americans, and an eyewitness of the event,
which was then cut off from the rest of particularly, of the Mass.
the known world.
Primary Source: Francisco Albo's Log
The popularity of knowing where the first
mass happened in history has been an easy Source: "Diario o derotero del viage de
way to trivialize history, but this case study Magallanes desde el cabo se S. Agustin en el
will not focus on the significance of the site of Brazil hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao
the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines, but Victoria, escrito por Frandsco Albo,
rather, use it as a historiographical exercise "Document no. xxii in Collecion de viages y
in the utilization of evidence and descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los
interpretation in reading historical event. Españoles desde fines del siglo XV, Ed.
Martin Fernandez de Navarrete (reprinted
 Butuan has long been believed as the Buenos Aires 1945, 5 Vols.) IV 191-225. As
site of the first Mass. In fact, this has cited in Miguel A. Bernad "Butuan or
been the case for three centuries, Limasawa? The site of the first Mass in the
culminating in the erection of a Philippines: A Reexamination of evidence"
monument in 1872 near Agusan River, 1981, Kinaadman: A journal of Southern
which commemorate the expedition Philippines, Vol. III 1-35
arrival and celebration of Mass on April
8, 1521. Albo's log states:
 The Butuan claim has been based on 1. On the 16th day of March (1521) as they
a rather elementary reading of primary sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones,
sources from the event. they saw land towards the northwest; but
owing to many shallow places they didn't leagues, down to latitude of 10 and one-third
approach it. They found later that its name degrees. There they entered a channel
was Yunagan. between 2 islands, one of which was called
"Matan" and the other "Subu".
2. They went instead that same day
southwards to another small island named 9. They sailed down that channel and then
Suluan, and there they anchored. There they turned westward, anchored at the town (la
saw some canoes but these fled at the villa) of Subu where they stayed more days
Spaniards approach. This island was at 9 and and obtained provisions and entered into a
two-thirds degrees North latitude. peace-pact the local king.

3. Departing from those 2 islands, they sailed 10. The town of Subu was on an east-west
westward to an uninhibited island of "Gada" direction with the island of Suluan and
where they took in a supply of wood and Mazava. But between Mazava and Subu,
water. The sea around that island was free there were so many shallows that the boats
from shallows. (Albo does not give the could not go westward directly, has to go in a
latitude of this island, but from Pigafettas roundabout way.
testimony, this seems to be the "Aquada" or
Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.) It must be noted that in Albo's account,
the location of Mazava fits the location of
4. From that island they sailed westwards the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip
towards a large island names Seilani that was of Leyte, 9°54. Albo does not mention the
inhabited and was known to have gold. first Mass, but only a planting of the cross
(Seilani-or, as Pigafetta calls it, Ceylon-was upon a mountain-top from which could be
the island of Leyte) seen 3 islands to the west of southwest,
which also fits the southern end of
5. Sailing southwards along the coast of that Limasawa.
large island of Seilani, they turned southwest
to a small island called "Mazava". That island Primary Source: Pigafetta's Testimony on
is also at latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees the Route of Magellan's Expedition
north.
Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander
6. The people of that island of Mazava we're Robertson, The Philippine Islands, Vols. 33
very good. There the Spaniards planted a and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernard,
cross upon a mountain top, and from there "Butuan or Limasawa? The site of the first
they were shown three islands to the west Mass in the Philippines: Reexamination of
and Southwest, where they were told there evidence 1981, Kinaadman: Ah Journal of
was much gold. They showed us how the Southeast Philippines, Vol. III, 1-35.
gold was gathered, which came in small
pieces like peas and lentils. Pigafetta's account states:

7. From Mazava they sailed northwards 1. Saturday, March 16, 1521 Magellan's
Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in expedition sighted a high land named
a Northwesterly direction, ascending up to 10 "Zamal" which was some 300 leagues
degrees of latitude where they saw three westward Ladrones (now Marianas/Guam)
small islands. island.

8. From there they sailed westwards some 10 2. Sunday, March 17 "The following day
leagues, and there they saw 3 islets, where after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on
they dropped anchor for the night. In the another island which was uninhabited and
morning they sailed southwest some 12 which lay" to the right "of the above-
mentioned island of Zamal". (To the right through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin
here would mean on their starboard going Mary on her feast day.
southwest.) There they set up 2 tents for the
sick members, the crew and had and sow Pigafetta's account states:
killed for them. The name of this island was" The route taken by the expedition after
Humunu" (Homonhon). This island was leaving Homonhon was toward the west
located at 10 degrees North latitude. southwest, between 4 islands; namely
On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and
Magellan named the entire archipelago the Albarien.
"Islands of Saint Lazarus", the reason being  Very probably "Cenalo" is a
that it was Sunday in the Lenten season misspelling in the Italian manuscript for
when the gospel assigned for the Mass and what Pigafetta in his map calls "Ceilon"
the liturgical office was the 11th chapter of St. and "Albo" calls "Seilano": namely the
John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus island of Leyte."
from the dead.  Hiunanghan seemed to Pigafetta to be
3. Monday, March 18 In the afternoon of a separate island, but is actually on the
their second day on that island, they saw mainland of Leyte (Ceilon).
about coming towards them with 9 men in it.  On the other hand, Hibuson
And exchange of gifts was affected. Magellan (Pigafetta's Ibusson) is an island east
asked for food supplies, and the men went of Leytes southern tip..
away, promising to bring rice and other  Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta
supplies in four days. meant by sailing "towards west
towards" past those islands.
4. There were 2 springs of water on that  They left Homonhon said westward
island of Homonhon. Also they saw there towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte
some indications that there was gold in these coast southwest passing between the
islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the island of Hibuson on their portside
island and called it the "Watering Place of the Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and
Good Omen" (Acquada la di bouni segniali). then continued southwest then turning
westward to "Mazaua".
5. Friday, March 22- At noon the natives
returned. This time they were in 2 boats, and 7. Thursday, March 28 In the morning of
they brought food supplies. Holy Thursday, March 28, they anchored off
an island where the previous night they seen
Magellan's expedition stayed 8 days at
a light or a bonfire. That island lies in a
Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the
latitude of 9 two-thirds towards the Arctic Pole
Monday of the following week, 25 of March.
(North) and in a longitude of 162 degrees
6. Monday, March 25 In the afternoon, the from the line of demarcation. It is 25 leagues
expedition weighed anchor and left the island from the Aquada, and is called Mazaua.
of Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar,
8. They remained 7 days on Mazaua
this day was the feast day of the Incarnation,
Island.
also called the feast of the Annunciation and
therefore "Our Lady's Day". On this day, as 9. Thursday, April 4- They left Mazaua,
they were about to weigh anchor, and bound for Cebu. They went guided thither by
accident happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the king of Mazaua who sailed in his own
the water but was rescued. He attributed his boat. Their route took them past 5 islands
narrow escape from death as grace obtained
namely: Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, Mindanao, and seemingly went to
and Gatighan. Butuan.In this instance, Pigafetta
vividly describe a trip in a river. But
Pigafetta's account states: note that this account already
At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the 3 happened after Magellan's death.
islands of Camotes Group, namely: Poro,  Mazava (Albo) and Mazaua (Pigafetta)
Pasihan and Ponson. Here the Spanish ships islands are of the same island where
stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch the first mass in the Philippines
with them, since them, since the Spanish happened.
ships were much faster than native Balanghai
a thing that excited the admiration of the king
of Mazaua. From the Camotes Islands they
sailed southwards towards "Zubu".

10. Sunday, April 7-At noon they entered the

harbor of Zubu (Cebu). It had taken them 3
days to negotiate the journey from Mazaua
northwards to the Camotes Islands and then
southward to Cebu.

It must be pointed out that both Albo and

Pigafetta testimony coincide and
corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave
more details on what they did during their
weeklong stay at Mazaua.

Case Study 1: Where did the First Catholic

Mass take place in the Philippines?

Using the primary sources available, Filipino

Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernard his work
Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First
Mass in the Philippines: And
Reexamination of Evidence (1981) lays
down the argument that in the Pigafettas
account, and crucial aspect of Butuan was
not mentioned - the river of Butuan is a
riverine settlement, situated on the
Agusan River. The beach Masao is in the
delta of said river. It is a curious omission in
the account of the river, which makes part of
distinct characteristics of Butuan's geography
that seemed to be too important to be
missed.

 It must also be pointed out that later

on, after Magellan's death, the
survivors of his expedition went to