BUTUAN OR LIMASAWA?

THE FIRST
SITE OF THE MASS IN THE
PHILIPPINES:
A Reexamination of the Evidence
 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 expidition’s arrival
and celebration of masson April 8, 1521.
 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 Elcanoon the ship Victoria
after they circumnavigated the world. The other, and the
more complete, was the account by Antonio
Pigafetta, Primo viaggiointornoal mondo(First Voyage
Around the World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a member
of Magellan Expedition and an eyewitness of the Events,
particularly, of the first mass.
 PRIMARY SOURCE
 FRANCISCO ABO’S LOG
 PIGAFETTA’S TESTIMONY ON THE ROUTE OF MAGELLAN’S
EXPIDITION
 SEVEN DAYS AT MAZAUA
 FRANCISCO ABO’S LOG
 On the 16th Of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from
Ladrones,
 They went instead that same day southwards to another small island Named
Suluan
 Departing form those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited
island of “Gada”
 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”-was the island of Leyte.
 They turned southwest to a small island called “Mazava.”
 It must be noted that in Albo’s account, the Location of Mazava fits the
location of the Island of Limasawa, at southern tip of Leyte.
 PIGAFETTA’S TESTIMONY ON THE ROUTE OF
MAGELLAN’S EXPIDITION
 Saturday, 16 March 1521
 Sunday, 17 March
 On the same day (Sunday, March 17)
 Monday, 18 March
 There were two springs of water on that island of homonhon.
 Friday, 22 March
 Magellan’s expedition stayed eight days at homonhon:
 Monday, 25 March
 They left homonhon sailing westward towards leyte
 Thuursday, 28 March
 They remained seven days on Mazaua Island
 Thursday, 4 April
 They sailed westward toward to the three islands of the camotes group
 From the camotes island they sailed toward “zubu”
 Sunday, 7 April
 SEVEN DAYS AT MAZAUA
 Thursday, 28 March
 Friday, 29 March
 Saturday, 30 March
 Sunday, 31 March
 Sunday, 31 March (on that same afternoon)
 Monday 1 April
Tuesday, 2 April
Thursday, 4 April