IT HAS been said that the first Catholic mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521. However,
there's an issue as to where it was celebrated. The start of Christianity in the Philippines is a controversy
because some historians are actually pushing for the recognition of Masau in Butuan city as the real site.
Yet, some had a conclusion that the First Holy Mass was celebrated in Limasawa (Southern Leyte).
"At dawn on Saturday, March 16, 1521, we came upon a highland at a distance of three hundred leagues
from the islands of Ladroni -- an island named [Samar]." The captain-general desired to land on another
uninhabited island which lay to the right of Samar. He had two tents set up on the shore for
thesickandhada sow killed for them. On Monday afternoon, March 18, we saw a boat coming toward us
with ninemen in it. When those men reached the shore, their chief gave signs of joy because of our
arrival.
Coconut is the fruit of the palm tree, and they get all their wine from that tree. They bore a hole into the
heart of the said palm at the top called palmito, from which distils a liquor which resembles white mist.
That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart, and [is gathered] in canes of bamboo as thick as the leg and
thicker. Coconut palms resemble date-palms, but although not smooth they are less knotty than the
latter. A family of 10 persons can be supported on two trees, by utilizing one of them for wine during
one week and the other for oil during the other 8 days. They last a century. Milk can also be made from
it, for we made some.
The captain-general took them to his ship and showed them all his merchandise-- cloves, cinnamon,
pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all the things in the ship. They made signs to us that the above
said articles grew in the place where we were going.
Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many things, their names and those of some of
the islands that could be seen from that place. Their own island was called Zuluan and it is not very
large. The captain-general took them to his ship and showed them all his merchandise-- cloves,
cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all the things in the ship. He had some mortars fired
for them, where they exhibited great fear, and tried to jump out of the vessel. They made signs to us
that the above said articles grew in the place where we were going. We found a great quantity of white
coral and large trees with fruit a trifle smaller than the almond and resembling pine seeds. There are
many islands in that district, and therefore we called them the archipelago of San Lazaro as they were
discovered on the Sunday of St. Lazarus They lie in 10 degrees of latitude toward the Arctic Pole, and in a
longitude of one hundred and sixty one degrees fpm the line of demarcation.
At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had promised in two boats with coconuts, sweet
oranges, a jar of palm-wine and a cock. They exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us. Their seignior
was an old man who was painted [tattooed]. He wore two gold earrings in his ears, and the others many
gold armlets on their arms and kerchiefs about their heads.
