– is an island in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines, on the

east side of Leyte Gulf. Its coordinates are 10°45′20″N

125°44′21″E.
• – During the first circumnavigation of the globe, Ferdinand
Magellan's three surviving vessels passed the Marianas, but did
not land, even though he was out of food after crossing the
Pacific Ocean.
• Yet he landed on the island of Homonhon on March 16, 1521,
where his crew managed to gather some food despite
Homonhon being uninhabited at that time. However, he was
detected by the boats of Rajah Culambu of Limasawa, who
guided him to Cebu, on April 7. Thus Rajah Calambu was an
ally of the Datu of Cebu.
People of Homonhon:

Let me ExPlaiN
• After they landed in Guam and called Las Islas de los
Ladrones(the theft island), Magellan’s troops had a terrible
experience staying there. Some people in Homonhon island and
Samar claimed, shortly after the arrival of Magellan and his
companions on the island, they had a mass in the Isle to thank
God for their safe journey from Guam and the vast pacific
ocean.
• “Pigafetta did not exactly say it was their first
mass, he only reported that a mass was
celebrated on Saster Sunday [in mazzaua
island]. Atty. Mediola concludes that on the
island of Homonhon on 19th of March 1521 the
first mass celebrated was held in the Philippines
not one on the 31st of that month at Limasawa/
Mazzaua. In modern historiography, any
passage or statement to the contrary in our
history books would be unsustainable.
• “While Magellan Discovered the existence of the
Philippines, for me the greater significance of
Magellan’s arrival in Homonhon was it showed the
world, that we in Samar already had a society, a
culture of our own. Pigafetta wrote that ‘their seignior
was an old man who was painted. He wore two gold
earrings in his ears and the others many gold armlets
on their arms and handkerchiefs about their heads.
They have black hair that falls to the waist and uses
daggers, knives, and spear ornamented with gold,
large shields, fascines, javelins, and fishing nets that
resemble rizali and their boats are like ours.”
• Antonio Pigafetta (c. 1491 – c. 1531) was an Italian scholar
and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He joined the
expedition to the Spice Islands led by explorer Ferdinand
Magellan under the flag of King Charles I of Spain and, after
Magellan's death in the Philippines, the subsequent voyage
around the world. During the expedition, he served as
Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal which later
assisted him in translating the Cebuano language. It is the first
recorded document concerning the language.
Limasawa

Homonhon