The Site of the First Mass

First part: Role play

Second part: Introduction
Third Part: Panel discussion
1. Can you please discuss to us what really happened on the site of the first mass
regardless of where it really happened?
Janice answer:
The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday.
It was said by Father Pedro de Valderrama along the shores according to the journals of
Antonio Pigafetta as "Mazaua".
Before the first mass happened Ferdinand Magellan and his European crew sailed from
San Lucar de Barrameda for an expedition to search for spices. These explorers landed
on the Philippines after their voyage from other proximate areas. On March 28, 1521,
while at sea, they saw a bonfire which turned out to be Mazaua where they anchored.
(The island's sovereign ruler was Rajah Siaui. )When Magellan and comrades set foot
on the grounds of Mazaua, he befriended Rajah Siaiu together with his brother Rajah
Kulambu of Butuan. In those days, it was customary among the indigenous—and in
most of southeast Asia—to seal friendship with a blood compact. On instigation of
Magellan who had heard the Malayan term, casi casi, the new friends performed the
ritual. This was the first recorded blood compact between Filipinos and Spaniards. Gifts
were exchanged by the two parties when the celebration had ended.
On March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered a mass to be celebrated
which was officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama, the Andalusion chaplain of the fleet,
the only priest then. They conducted near the shores of the island, the Holy First Mass
marked the birth of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. (Colambu and Siaiu were the
first natives of the archipelago, which was not yet named "Philippines" until the
expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543, to attend the mass among other native
inhabitants.)

2. When and where did the site of the first mass really happen?

Janice: The site of the first mass happened on March 31, 1521 on Mazaua whic is
Butuan today. After the mass they planted a cross on the highest hill and stayed in the
area for seven days and helped in the rice harvest for two days together with more than
a hundred of the Rajah’s men. When they arrived on Good Friday, they were harvesting
rice for two days, that means to say, the place where they went was the Mazaua, not in
Limasawa but somewhere in Mindanao. Because they harvested for two days, what can
you harvest in Limasawa when there was nothing [there]?” According to Father Joesilo
Amalla, curator of Butuan Diocesan Liturgical Museum.
More than a hundred of people helped in the harvest, meaning it was a huge agricultural
area. Father Amalla had been to Limasawa a lot of times. And he said that They have
said that the rice harvested came from the surrounding island, and they said they have
harvested in the island itself. So their claim is wrong,”
Why can you say that the site of the first mass was in Butuan? Cite your evidences.
On Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, a mass officiated by the Augustinian Friar Pedro
Valderrama was held on the shore of Masao, Butuan, Agusan del Norte. At sundown,
Magellan planted a wooden cross on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea. He
named the country the Islas de San Lazaro.
Noted historian Dr. Sonia M. Zaide presented the evidence for Masao rather than
Limasawa [an island in Southern Leyte] as the site of the first recorded mass in the
Philippines.
First, in all primary sources including the diary of Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of
Magellan's voyage, the name of the place was Mazaua. Limasawa has four syllables
and begins with another letter.
Second, according to primary records, the expedition traveled 20 to 25 leagues from
Homonhon, the first landing point. If they had been to Limasawa Island, the distance is
only 14.6 leagues or one-half of that length.
Third, the distance to Cebu from Mazaua according to Pigafetta was 35 leagues [140
miles]. The distance from Limasawa to Cebu is only 80 miles.
Fourth, it was mentioned that the king came to their ship in a balanghai. Butuan is now
the site of at least nine excavated balanghai relics; by contrast, Limasawa has no
significant archeological relics or balanghai tradition.
Fifth, the Western explorers got excited at the abundance of gold in Mazaua, for that
was the main currency at that time. Both archeological relics and the gold mines today
attested to the abundance of gold in the Agusan Valley.
Magellan never landed at Limasawa at all.
On June 19, 1960, the Philippine Congress enacted a bill [R.A. No. 2733] declaring
Limasawa as the place where Magellan celebrated the first recorded mass in the
Philippines on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521. President Carlos P. Garcia did not sign
the law because he was not sure of the fact that the 'Mazaua' in the Pigafetta Codex is
really Limasawa.
It was the American historian Emma Helen Blair and John Alexander Robertson who
claimed in 1909 that the island of Mazaua is the present island of Limasawa without
giving any explanation for the identification.

Conclusion:
To conclude everything, The site of the first mass still leaves a question to us especially
Filipinos on where it really happened. Both the Limasawa and Butuan provided their
claims and evidences and it still needs more research and analization regarding to that
matter. Anyway, we believe that although the location of where the site of the first mass
happened is important, what matters most is that it signifies us being A Filipino and
being a roman catholic. What matters is the content of the even wherein the very first
mass happened officiated by Friar Pedro Valderrama, leaded by Magellan together with
the Rajas. It became the start of Roman Catholicism and opened the door for us being a
believer of God. It made us and leaves a historical mark on our country, the Philippines.