Main Topic III:

One Past But Many Histories

Objectives
1. To interpret historical events using primary sources.

2. To recognize the multiplicity of interpretation that can

be read from a historical text

3. To identify the advantages and disadvantages of

employing critical tools in interpreting historical events
A. The First Mass Site in the Philippines

March 31, 1521 Pigafetta referred to the venue as

an Easter Sunday “Mazaua.”
 He was referring to Masao the
community at the mouth of Agusan Some say that the venue is the
River adjacent to what is now the island of Limasawa in Leyte.
city of Butuan.

Nearing 500 years since the first Mass, debates continue whether it was held on
Limasawa Island, in Agusan or somewhere else.
After making trips in Butuan and Limasawa as
part of their research, the NHCP panel found no
No sufficient evidence
sufficient evidence to support the filed bill by Ex
Rep Plaza.

The NHCP panel examined the Italian and French Journal as an evidence
version of Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta’s
1521 Easter Sunday Mass are closer to Limasawa.

Journal articles of historians Trinidad Pardo de

Tavera and Pablo Pastells, SJ, which revisited Journal articles
Pigafetta’s accounts and emphasized that
Limasawa, not Butuan,
 In a resolution dated July 15 but released only on Wednesday, August 19, the
NHCP adopted a recommendation of a panel of Church historians, reaffirming its
earlier stand that Limasawa Island was the site of the first mass that started
Christianity in the Philippines.

In August 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte

declared March 31 of every year as a
special holiday in Southern Leyte to mark
the historic Mass in Limasawa.
Limasawa Island is site of first Mass in PH, says
historical commission, The Manila Times, August 20,2020.
The country’s first Catholic mass was officiated by Fr. Pedro Valderrama
on March 31, 1521, upon orders of Portugese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan. The Limasawa mass marked the birth of Roman Catholicism
in the country, which remains as the nation's dominant religion in the
country up to present.
Additional Information:
The country’s first Catholic mass was officiated by Fr. Pedro
Valderrama on March 31, 1521, upon orders of Portugese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan. The Limasawa mass marked the birth of Roman
Catholicism in the country, which remains as the nation's dominant
religion in the country up to present.

Cebu is identified as the site of the first

baptism with Rajah Humabon, Queen
Juana and hundreds of their community
members being the first converts,
according to the accounts of Antonio
Pigafetta, the chronicler of the
Magellan-Elcano expedition.

The first baptism was on April 14, 1521.

B. The Two Faces of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny

1872 Cavite Mutiny and the other was

1872 the martyrdom of the three martyr priests.
Two major events happened in 1872, first was the 1872
Cavite Mutiny and the other was the martyrdom of the
three martyr priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano
Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora
(GOMBURZA).

However, not all of us knew that there were different

accounts in reference to the said event. All Filipinos
must know the different sides of the story—since this
event led to another tragic yet meaningful part of our
history—the execution of GOMBURZA which
in effect a major factor in the awakening of nationalism
among the Filipinos.

Sgt. Francisco La Madrid

Fort San Felipe , Cavite
Arsenal in Cavite
 Heswitang Historyador
Fr. John Schumacker
Malawakang pag-aalsa
 Nabigo ang pag-aalsa.

Nakumbinsi niya ang mga

sasama sa rebelyon na
huwag ng tumuloy.

Ang tunay na tatlong utak ng

pag-aalsa ay hindi ang
tatlong pari.

Gob. Hen. Rafael Izquierdo

Maximo Inocencio
Crisanto Delos Reyes
Enrique Paraiso
 C. Cry of Balintawak or Pugadlawin?
The controversy among historians
continues to the present day. The “Cry of
August 23, 1896 Pugad Lawin” (August 23, 1896) cannot
be accepted as historically accurate.

It lacks positive documentation and supporting evidence from the

witness. The testimony of only one eyewitness (Dr. Pio Valenzuela)
is not enough to authenticate and verify a controversial issue in
history.
Pagkabunyag ng Katipunan at
Unang Sigaw ng Himagsikan

19 Agosto 1896—Sinalakay ang Diario de

Manila at natuklasan ang Katipunan matapos na
isumbong ni Teodoro Patiño sa cura parroco ng
Tondo na si P. Mariano Gil ang lihim na samahan.

Nagsimula ang hulihan at ipinatupad ni Ramon

Blanco ang “huwes de kutsilyo”o total annhialation
ng mga indyo sa isang lugar ng pagaalsa

Buong gabing nanghuli ang mga Espanyol ng mga

pinaghihinalaang kasapi.
“Sigaw”– ay isinalin mula sa salitang “El Grito de Rebelion” o “El Grito” na
nangangahulugang desisyon o pagtawag ng himagsikan.

Ayon kay Aurelio Tolentino, ang tunay na sinigaw ni Bonifacio sa

“Unang Sigaw” ay:

“Kalayaan o kaalipinan? Kabuhayan o

kamatayan? Mga kapatid: Halina’t ating
kalabanin ang mga baril at kanyon upang
kamtin ang sariling kalayaan!”
Agosto 23 1896 – dito naganap ang simbolikong pagpunit ng mga sedula na
tanda ng pagsuway sa batas at kautusan ng espanya. Sa araw na ito
nagsimula at naihayag katipunan ang paghihimagsik ng mga Pilipino laban sa
mga Kastila upang makamit ang kasarinlan.

Mga petsa at lugar na pinagtatalunan kung saan

naganap ang “Sigaw” (1896)

∙Agosto 26 – Balintawak
∙Agosto 22 – Kangkong
∙Agosto 23 – Pugad Lawin
∙Agosto 24 – Bahay Toro
Agosto 22, Kangkong, nakarating si Bonifacio at 300 na
kasama sa bahay ni Apolonio Samson na may dalang itak,
balaraw at 12 rebolber na maliliit.
August 23, 1896 – Nagtungo sina Andres Bonifacio at ang mga
katipunero sa bahay ni Tandang Sora (Bahay Toro) upang
magtipon-tipon.

August 24, 1896 - Dito itinatag ang pamahalang mapaghimagsik at

kinilala sa Bonifacio na unang Pangulo.
 It is surprising that there are different versions on the dates for the first
cry of the revolution as well as the venue. This controversy up to this time
remains unsolved. It is believed that the so-called Cry took place in
Balintawak; but others would say that it really happened in Pugad Lawin.

Nevertheless, there are different versions to consider in knowing the real

date and place of the Cry. These include
Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”, Santiago
Alvarez’s “The Cry of Bahay Toro”, Gregoria de Jesus’ version of the
“First Cry”, and Guillermo Masangkay’s “The Cry if Balintawak”.
Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”
(August 23, 1896)

This controversial version of the “Cry of the Pugad Lawin” has been authorized
by no other than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness
himself of the event. In his first version, he told that the prime staging point of
the Cry was in Balintawak on Wednesday of August 26, 1896. He held this
account when the happenings or events are still vivid in his memory. On the
other hand, later in his life and with a fading memory, he wrote his Memoirs of
the Revolution without consulting the written documents of the Philippine
revolution and claimed that the “Cry” took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23,
1896.
Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”
(August 23, 1896)
Guillermo Masangkay’s The “Cry of Balintawak”
(August 26, 1896)

This version is written by the Katipunan General Guillermo

Masangkay. He is an eyewitness of the historic event and a
childhood friend of Bonifacio. According to him, the first rally of the
Philippine Revolution happened on August 26, 1896 at Balintawak.
Correspondingly, the date and site presented were accepted by the
preliminary years of American government.
Guillermo Masangkay’s The “Cry of Balintawak”
(August 26, 1896)
 Letterhead ni Andres Bonifacio,
dokumento na nagtatalaga kay Emilio
Jacinto bilang Pinunong Hukbo ng
Hilaga ng Maynila kung saan
binabanggit na si Andres Bonifacio ang
Pangulo ng Haring Bayang
Katagalugan–ang unang pamahalaang
pambansa at mapanghimagsik.

(Mula sa Koleksyon ni Emmanuel

Encarnacion).