First Mass
According to Dela Paz (2018), There are two sources that can be used to
determine when, where, and how this catholic liturgy took place in the Philippines.
Francisco Albo, a pilot on one of Magellan's ships, Trinidad, provided the initial account.
He was one of the 18 survivors who returned on the ship Victoria with Sebastian Elcano
after they circumnavigated the globe. The second narrative came from Antonio Pigafetta,
an Italian nobleman, cartographer, and geographer who was ordered by the King of Spain
to document Magellan's journey to the eastern island.
However, many researchers came to the conclusion that Antonio Pigafetta's
account is more reliable than Albo's because Pigafetta's version is more detailed and
backed up by evidence, such as the event's date and place. Antonio Pigafetta’s account
states that the first mass was held in Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521 and It was led by
Father Pedro de Valderrama of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition along the coastlines of
what Pigafetta referred to as "Mazaua" (Limasawa, Southern Leyte) in his chronicles.
Moreover, Pigafetta is also regarded as a reliable source because his work quickly
became a classic, with writers such as William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne, and
Giambattista Vico citing the book in their interpretations of the new world which strengthen
his credibility as a primary source of information.
It is critical that we clarify this information for the Philippines and Filipinos because
it is a key historical event, particularly for Catholics. This event is remembered as the first
catholic liturgy in the eastern islands, and it is significant for Catholics. It marks the
beginning of Catholicism and Christianity in the Philippines.
Cavite mutiny
According to an article in Britannica (2021), The Cavite mutiny was a small
rebellion of 200 Filipino soldiers and employees at the Cavite arsenal that served as an
excuse for Spanish persecution of the emerging Philippine nationalist movement.
Ironically, the Spanish government' violent retaliation ultimately aided the nationalist
cause. The goal of the cavite mutiny was for locals to rebel against the Spanish
administration in the Philippines since the Cavite Arsenal had been removed.
Furthermore, the fundamental cause of the mutiny is held as a structure from Governor
General Rafael de Izquierdo to force the soldiers to surrender.
There are 2 perspectives of the accounts about the cavity mutiny, as argued by
Piedad-Pugay (2012). The first perspective was the accounts of the Spanish, Jose
Montero y Vidal, A famous Spanish historian described the incident and characterized it
as an attempt by the Indios to overthrow the Spanish rule in the Philippines. Meanwhile,
the official report of Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo exaggerated the incident and used it to
accuse the native clergy. The second perspective was that of the accounts on the version
of the Filipinos. The Filipino version of the horrific incident in Cavite was written by Dr.
Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino academic and researcher. According
to him, the event was only a mutiny by the Cavite arsenal's native Filipino soldiers and
employees, who were upset with the removal of their privileges.
The events that transpire after the events of the Cavite mutiny paved the way for
a momentous event in 1898. It prompted Filipino patriots to demand changes and,
eventually, independence. The sacrifices of many patriots was given for us to attain
reforms and achieve independence. We must not forget that many of our countryman had
to go through a lot before we arrived at victory.
REFERENCES
Dela Paz, J. (2018, October 2). The First Mass in The Philippines was held in Butuan not in
Limasawa. Wordpress. https://johndelapaz.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/the-first-mass-inthe-philippines-was-held-in-butuan-not-in-limasawa/
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021, January 13). Cavite Mutiny | Summary, Importance, & Facts.
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cavite-Mutiny
Piedad-Pugay, C. A. (2012, September 12). The Two Faces of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. National
Historical Commission of the Philippines. https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-two-faces-of-the-1872cavite-mutiny/