IS-IT-BUTUAN-OR-LIMASAWA.docx

IS IT BUTUAN OR LIMASAWA? "ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES" ­-- Many historians analyze a historical event, sa isang historical event, thousands of cases ang available, many historians, however, tend to input their own perspective rather than what was really written in the primary source, kaya minsan s...

IS IT BUTUAN OR LIMASAWA? "ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES" ­-- Many historians analyze a historical event, sa isang historical event, thousands of cases ang available, many historians, however, tend to input their own perspective rather than what was really written in the primary source, kaya minsan sa isang historical event nagkakaroon ng maraming arguments kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari JUST LIKE? Saan ba talaga ginanap ang First catholic mass in the Philippines? Sa Butuan ba? Or sa Limasawa. We have 2 primary sources to answer this argument: 1. Francisco Albo -- si Franciso Albo, he was one of the Pilots of Magellan's ship= Trinidad and one of the 18 survivors from the Battle of Mactan. 2. Antonio Pigaffeta -- As we all know, Pigafetta is Magellan's Chronicler and translator, and sa journal ni Pigafetta, he writes in such details. FRANCISO ALBO'S TESTIMONY - March 16, nakakita sila ng land towards the northwest pero hindi sila bumaba because it was too shallow, instead that same day the anchored in Suluan. It was 9 and two-third Degrees to the North. - When they left Suluan, pumunta naman sila sa Island na walang katao-tao, tinawag yun ni Albo sa log niya as "Gada" pero kay Pigafetta naman, iba. - Galing sa Island na yun, they sailed sa isang malaking isla and Albo called it "Seilani", pinaniniwalaan nilang may ginto sa Island na yun. - Then after that Island, they turned Southwest to a small island called "Mazava" the latitude is also 9 and two-third degrees towards the North. - Sabi ni Albo, the people of the Mazava were very good, they planted a cross upon the hill, then after nun they were shown an island to the west and southwest, sabi nila may ginto raw don, na nakagather na parang peas and lentils. - Hindi minention ni Albo yung first mass, pero namention niya yung pag plant ng krus sa isang bundok which could be seen three islands to the west and southwest. - Yung namention ni Albo na bundok, nagfifit siya sa Limasawa Island. ANTONIO PIGAFETTA'S TESTIMONY - March 16, nasa Zamal sila which was 300 leagues westward of ladrones - March 17, they left zamal and just like in albo, they went to an uninhabited island. Nag set up daw sila ng tents para sa mga kasamahan nilang may sakit, the island was Humunu or mas kilala ngayon as Homonhon. - Same day, Magellan named the whole archipelago as "The islands of Saint Lazarus" kasi it was the Lenten season when the gospel assigned for the mass was St. john which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. - Nung second day nila sa island na yun may Nakita silang bangka papunta sa kanila and the boat had nine men in it, nagkaroon sila ng exchange gift and Magellan asked for food supplies, nung umalis yung mga tao, they promised na babalik sila nang may dalang pagkain at bigas. - They believed din na may ginto sa island na ito, kaya siya pinangalanan ni Magellan na "watering place of good omen" - Pagbalik ng mga natives, may dala silang mga pagkain. 8 days nagstay sina Magellan sa humonhon. - Nung umalis sila sa Homonhon, may aksidenteng nangyari kay Antonio Pigafetta, nahulog siya sa barko pero nasagip din siya, that day it was march 25, or our lady's day, kaya pinaniniwalaan ni pigafetta na isang blessing from mama mary yung pagkasagip sa kaniya from the accident. - The route taken from the homonhon island were four islands namely: Cenalo, hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien. Yung sCenalo, they believe it was a misspelling of Ceilon or Seilani in Albo's account. - Then nakarating sila sa Mazaua, it was Holy Thursday, duon nila nakilala sina Rajah Siagu at Rajah Kalambu. - Then nung easter Sunday, there nagkaroon na ng mass. Magellan sent a priest ashore, wwhom was Padre Pedro De Valderama, they celebrated after the mass and pagkatapos nila mananghalian, pumunta sila sa tuktok ng pinakamataas ng hill and there they planted the cross. Using the to sources available, A Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his work Butuan or Limasawa: The site of the first mass in the philipines: a reexamination of evidence (1981). May argument siya na nagsasabing sa testimony ni Pigafetta, Butuan was rarely mentioned. Ang Butuan kasi, maraming river, isa ang Agusan River, the beach of the Masao was in the delta of Agusan. Which wwas suspicious na hindi ilagay ni Pigafetta since Pigafetta was well known for his detailed description in his book. Sabi ni Bernad, Butuan had distinct characteristics that seemed too important to be missed. However, nung namatay si Magellan, pumunta sa Mindanao yung survivors and seemingly went to Butuan, duon pa lang nagmention si Pigafetta how the remembered vividly of a river. So ang tanong, nagpunta sila sa Butuan pero dun ba nangyari ang first mass? Maraming nag tetestify na sa limasawa talaga nangyari ang first mass, according to our primary sources Albo and Pigafetta, their descriptions of the island lalo na yung longitude, nagfifit talaga sa Limasawwa. Based on our research, nagkaroon din ng argument and long controversy about the two places because sabi ni Pigafetta, they went to "Mazaua" and nagkaroon ng misunderstanding, some historians claimed na it was the same as "Masagua" kasi namention siya Ni Miguel Lopez de Legazpi about sa expedition niya sa Butuan. After a thorough study and examination of old maps and documents, a monograph by Fr. Miguel Bernad in 1981 clarified that the Butuan version is a mistake and that, indeed, Limasawa is what Pigafetta referred to as "Mazaua."  FUN FACT: It is said that before the Spaniards landed on the island, the natives did not really have a name for the island. When asked, and because they did not understand Spanish, one of the natives mistakenly thought he was asked "How many wives does the Rajah have?" he immediately replied "lima'y asawa" or five wives. From then on, the island was called Limasawa. Limasawa is called the birthplace of Christianity because this is where the first mass was held