CRITIQUE PAPER ABOUT MASAO AS A FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES

On Easter Sunday, 31st of March 1521 a small island port named Mazaua hosted the first
Christian mass. The two eyewitnesses Antonio Pigafetta (1523) and Antonio de Herrera y
Tordesillas (1601) have told two identical accounts of this event. “Massawa,” a word found in
181 of the Philippine languages, is found only in Butuanon and its scion, Tausog. It means
bright light and clear crystal.

Some Filipino historians have long challenged the notion that Limasawa was the location of the
country’s Catholic Mass. The historian Sonia Zaide identified the site of the first Christian mass
in Butuan as Masao. Zaide’s claim was supported by the diary of Magellan’s Chronicler, Antonio
Pigafetta. In 1995 Congresswoman Ching Palaza in Agusan Del Norte- Butuan, subsequently,
submitted a bill to the Congress contesting the Butuan was the “site of the first mass”.

In addition, Dr. Antonio Sanchez de Mora, an expert on Spanish medieval history was

supported these evidences. Mora grouped his sources into four: documents written during
Ferdinand Magellan’s historic expedition around the world; reports and testimonies of the
survivors who managed to make it back to Europe; chronicles and other primary sources by
authors who interviewed the survivors and who consulted their documents as well as maps and
nautical charts; and secondary sources that years later interpreted the information provided by
the primary sources and the testimonies transmitted over time. Mora said the documents,
primary sources and maps from the 16th century confirm that the island of Mazaua was the first
ever Easter Mass in the Philippines - a landmark in the history of Philippine Christianity. He
believed that the island of Mazaua, known today as Limasawa Island, Leyte.

Therefore, the researchers conclude that the first mass was held in Masao, Butuan and not in
Limasawa Leyte; because according to (Republic Act No. 2733) the law as well as the
government declare that the first mass is really held in Masao, Butuan. Then, the eyewitness
accounts of the people of that time are incontrovertible Antonio Pigafetta, the official chronicler
of the voyage of Magellan; Gines de Mafra, one of the original crew of Magellan who managed
to return to Spain and wrote on what he found in Masawa; and other supporting testimonies -
reported the First Mass as being held in Butuan, Agusan del Norte, specifically on an island
called Masao. Even though there is also a law declare Limasawa as the place were the first
Mass held there’s a possibility that they only want to detour us to the truth that Butuan is the real
place where it is held because there’s a lot of evidences that leads to the conclusion that the
first Mass was held in Masao, Butuan.
 CRITIQUE PAPER ABOUT LIMASAWA AS A FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The very first historical Catholic mass in the Philippines happened on Easter Sunday of March
31, 1521 administered by Father Pedro de Valderrama on the shore of a town island known as
Limasawa in Southern Leyte. Yet, according to Pigafetta's record, Magellan went to Butuan and
there held the principal mass based on the wayfarer's gathering with the island's king. Truly,
Magellan's course never included Butuan as one of its goals. From the eastern piece of the
Philippines, arriving at the island of Homonhon, Magellan continued to Limasawa and
immediately met two rulers, in particular the datu of Limasawa and the datu of Butuan. That is,
my perspective is that there was a misconstruction of information concerning the first mass but
several claims have assumptions that it occurred in Limasawa, Southern Leyte.

According to the article of Ticzon (2016), on March 1521, the island's sovereign ruler was Rajah
Siaiu. At the point when Magellan and companions set foot on the grounds of Limasawa, he
became a close acquaintance with the Rajah along with his sibling Rajah Kulambu who was
from Butuan. This was the principal recorded blood minimized among Filipinos and Spaniards
then blessings were traded by the two gatherings when the festival had finished. Also, the
compositions of the past students of history neglected to delineate the right course of
Magellan's boats toward the Philippines. Some reviews represented the passage of the boats
from the southern piece of the nation while the record of Antonio Pigafetta uncovered the
passageway from the eastern piece of the nation, from the heading of the Pacific district.
(Alexander and Blair, 2008).

Moreover, the record was established from the misconception of the gathering between the
three people. According to Pigafetta, Magellan met the datu of Limasawa, 1 and another datu,
the ruler of Butuan. This features the birthplace of the disarray that Magellan in truth never went
to Butuan because he and his men commanded the principal mass on the island of Limasawa,
along with the two datus before they continued travelling to Cebu (Bernad, 2002). The article of
Republic Act 11373 stated the act that declares March 31 of every year as a special working
holiday in the whole province of Southern Leyte to honor the introduction of Roman Catholicism
in the country.

Despite the historical controversies and debate that had emerged between the two places being
the vicinity of the first mass in our country, there is several evidence and authentication that it
took place in Magallanes, Limasawa, formerly known as “Mazaua” in Southern Leyte and as a
result of the promulgated law, the government declared a national shrine to commemorate the
birth of Christianity in the Philippines.

2. Where do you think the first mass was held? Defened.

I agree that the first mass happened in the Limasawa. There are many credible evidences that
the first mass happened in there. First, Francisco Albo’s diary which states that Magellan’s
expedition is going towards the southern end of Limasawa. Second, Antonio
Pigaffeta’s testimony regarding the route of the expedition. He also has maps and sketches that
leads to Limasawa. Francisco Albo and Antonio Pigaffeta are credible sources because they’re
part of the Magellan expedition. Third is the Legazpi Expedition. One of the destinations of the
expedition leads to Limasawa. Another information that supports the claim in Limasawa is the
Republic Act2733. The act declares that the first mass in the Philippines actually held in
Limasawa, Leyte. Last is the NHCP or National Historical Commission of the Philippines agreed
that the first mass happened in Limasawa because Butuan evidences are not sufficient.

Furthermore, as far as I know, the first Christian Mass was celebrated in the Philippines at
Limasawa after Magellan arrived in 1521, and the only main source of information on the
celebration of the first ChristianMass on Philippine territory is Antonio Pigafetta's account of it.
Despite the historical controversies and debates that have arisen between the two places being
thevicinity of our country's first mass, there is ample evidence and authentication that it took a
national shrine was established to honor Magallanes' role in the spread of Christianity, and the
government has designated Limasawa in Southern Leyte as the site of this shrine. Also,
according to the Republic Act 2733 and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP) the first mass was held in Limasawa.

3. Would you agree if the Senate of the Philippines repeal the R.A No. 2733? Why?
Defend your answer base on critic that you have made.

I would not agree if the Senate of the Philippines will repeal the R.A No. 27333 because it is
already stated and generally accepted by Roman Catholic people that the First Mass was held
at Lamisawa, Samar Leyte - is hereby declared a national shrine to commemorate the birth of
Christianity in the Philippines.