Analysis On The Site Of The First Mass.docx

Lacebal, Juan III T. BSCE – 2

Readings in Philippine History

03/28/2020 SP101 T-F 10:30 – 12:00

ANALYSIS ON THE SITE OF THE FIRST MASS In Favor of Limawasa On 31 March 1521, the first Christian Mass in the Philippines was held on the island of Limasawa, south of Leyte and not in Butuan Region, as the National Historical Institute proclaimed. The claim has been made by the Gancayco Commission, made up of former Supreme Court Justice Emilio A. Gancayco as president, Attorney Bartolome C. Fernandez and Dr. Maria Luisa T. Camagay, established by the NHI in May 1996 to "resolve a very important historical problem confronting our nation and our citizens". This is a statement made by the NHI after a " rigorous evaluative analysis and appraisal of primary sources" — none other than Antonio Pigafetta's chronicles "the most comprehensive and credible history of the Magellan voyage. The commission said in its conclusion, "the panel ends the discussion firmly that any and all remaining questions regarding these historical knowledges are now being placed to rest. Paraphrasing what the Bible proclaims, the reality about a bygone period of Philippine history would set us free." Findings 1. The most comprehensive and accurate account of the Magellan voyage to the Philippine coast in 1521 is that of Antonio Pigafetta, considered the only authoritative primary source of information on the celebration of the first Christian Mass in the Philippines. 2. James Robertson's English translation of Pigafetta's original Italian manuscript is more accurate as it is ' faithful ' to the original text as properly approved by the Department of European Language at the University of the Philippines

3. Pigafetta's Mazzaua, the location of the first Christian Mass conducted on Philippine territory, is an island located off the southwestern tip of Leyte while Masao in Butuan is not an island but a Butuan City barangay situated in the Agusan River Delta in the Northern Mindanao coastline. Mazzaua's location, as Pigafetta plotted, corresponded to that of Limasawa. 4. As determined by the pro-Limasawa party, the calculation of distances between Homonhon and Limasawa between Limasawa and Cebu matches or approximates the delineations produced by Pigafetta of distances between Homonhon and Mazzaua and between Mazzaua and Cebu. 5. Magellan's ships followed a course from Homonhon to Mazzaua, and from Mazzaua to Cebu without reaching Butuan or some other portion of Mindanao at any point. The docking facilities at Limasawa did not present any issue for Magellan's ships that anchored close to or some reasonable distance from the eastern shore island. Fr. Bernad summarized the evidence for Limasawa as follows: 1. The evidence from Francisco Albo’s logbook 2. The evidence of Pigafetta a. Pigafetta’s testimony regarding the route b. The evidence of Pigafetta’s maps c. The two native kings d. The seven days at ‘Mazaua’ 3. Confirmatory evidence from the Legazpi expedition.

Issues As Pigafetta relates in his chronicle of Magellan's voyage to the Philippine Islands starting on March 16, 1521, the first Christian Mass held on Philippine soil was made on an island which he named "Mazzaua." The exact identification and position of this First Mass site was the focus of historians and scholars writings whose various perceptions of the narrative of Pigafetta would ultimately contribute to confusion. It was the prevalent assumption for three centuries that the Mazzaua of Pigafetta was a location called Masao near Butuan City in northern Mindanao. From the 17th to the 19th century the belief in Butuan continued. In 1894, with the publication in its Italian text of a manuscript of Pigafetta's account of Magellan's journey, the Ambrosian Codex in Milan, Limasawa was described as the most probable location. In Favor of Mazzaua Island, Butuan The first known Christian mass was conducted at a little island-port called Mazzaua on Easter Sunday; March 31, 1521 officiated by the Augustinian Friar Pedro Valderrama. Two similar reports, by eyewitness Antonio Pigafetta (1523) and Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas (1601), record this incident. Among the 181 Philippine languages, "Masawa" is a term used only in Butuanon and its scion, Tausog. That means bright, crystal-clear illumination. At sundown, Magellan planted a wooden cross on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea. He named the country, Islas de San Lazaro. Magellan never landed at Limasawa at all. On 19 June 1960, a resolution [R.A.] was approved by the Philippine Congress. No. 2733] proclaiming Limasawa as the spot where, on Easter Sunday, 31 March 1521, Magellan

held the first recorded mass in the Philippines. President Carlos P. García did not sign the legislation because he was not confident whether the Pigafetta Codex ' Mazzaua ' truly is Limasawa. Findings Noted scholar Dr. Sonia M. Zaide provided proof for Masao as the location of the first documented mass in the Philippines, rather than Limasawa [an island in Southern Leyte]. 1. First, the place's name was Mazzaua in all primary sources including Antonio Pigafetta's diary, the chronicler of Magellan's journey. Limasawa has four syllables, and starts with a different letter. 2. Second, the expedition traveled 20-25 leagues from Homonhon, the first landing spot, according to the primary accounts. If they had been to the island of Limasawa the gap is just 14.6 leagues or half the time. 3. Third, according to Pigafetta, the trip from Mazzaua to Cebu was 35 leagues [140 miles]. Limasawa to Cebu is just 80 miles. 4. Fourth, the king came to their ship in a balanghai was specified. Butuan is now the location of at least nine Balanghai objects excavated; by comparison, Limasawa has no major archeological objects or typical balanghai. 5. Fourth, the Western settlers were enthusiastic about Mazzaua's wealth of gold, which at the time was the dominant currency. The presence of gold in the Agusan Valley was attested by both archeological remains and the gold mines now. Issues

Blame was first placed upon the Americans Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, who wrote the 55-volume series of articles written in Cleveland between 1903 and 1909 on the Philippines Island. The cause of the change of perception was the printing, as found in the Ambrosian Codex, of Pigafetta's account in 1894. Pigafetta was the Magellan expedition's chronicler in 1521, who introduced the Europeans to the archipelago for the first time. Since the Pigafetta text was written in 1894, two Philippine authors called attention to the possibility that the Butuan tradition was an error. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera was amongst the academics. The other was Missionary of the Spanish Jesuit, Pablo Pastells, S.J. The change in Pastells ' opinion from Butuan to Limasawa was attributed to a rediscovery and a more careful analysis of the primary sources on the subject: the account of Pigafetta, and the exploration log of Francisco Albo. The eye-witnesses were Pigafetta and Albo.