Jon Patrick Bacongallo BSA-III

“LIMASAWA VS. MASAO”

As what I have research, there are controversies arising about where the first mass
was held in the Philippines, either in Limasawa Island or in Masao. According to
Wikipedia, the first Catholic mass in the Philippines was on Easter Sunday on March
31,1521 which was officiated by Father Pedro de Valderrama in the shore of town islet
named as Limasawa in the tip of Southern Leyte. Limasawa is considered as the birthplace
of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. There are some sites that Mazaua, is the place
where the first mass was held in the Philippines. In Mazaua also known as Masao
according to some historians there was a flourishing kingdom and Spanish explorers
arrived in some four hundred years, unlike Limasawa, Masao is not an island and Mazaua
is just a barangay. There are institution and an expert claims like the National Historical
Institute (NHI) who claims that the first mass was held in Limasawa Island and an expert
who is Rolly Narciso who feverishly pushing for the recognition of Masau in Butuan City as
the true site. As I further research I have read an article about the memoirs of Antonio
Pigafetta, who chronicled the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, as the “the only credible
primary source that yields the best evidence of the celebration of the first Christian Mass
on Philippine Soil” and there is someone who disagree the claims of NCI and Rolly
Narciso , this person is named Tomas “ Buddy” Gomez he said that Pigafetta had not
written and never said that the Easter Mass in Limasawa was the first.’ Neither did any of
the survivors of Magellan’s expedition also he considered that the first mass in Limasawa is
just a mere opinion and not a fact. Aside from this Gome cited a records showing that
Magellan stayed in Homonhon ( which is a part of Samar Island ) for eight days including
the March 24 in the palm Sunday. So as what I have research from this different articles
about where was the first mass was held in the Philippines, I will say that neither
Limawasa or Masao because there is no such evidences about Limasawa and Masao and
there is no real translation on Pigafetta’s records and for now I will conclude that
Homonhon is the place where the first mass was held in the Philippines.