1.

First Catholic Mass

- Happened on March 31, 1521 at Mazaua (now referred to as Limasawa Island in Leyte)
- Led by Father Pedro de Valderrama

Dr. Antonio Sanchez de Mora

- An expert on Spanish medieval history
- Head of the reference service at the Archive General de Indias in Seville, Spain
- Claimed that the first catholic mass in the Philippines was held at Limasawa
- 500th Anniversary of the Mass of Limasawa: The Confusion and Contention over
Mazaua
- Four sources:
a. Documents written during Ferdinand Magellan’s historic expedition around the world:
Francisco Albo’s Log and Pigafetta’s Journal
b. Reports and testimonies of the survivors who managed to make it back
c. Chronicles and other primary sources by authors who interviewed the survivors and
who consulted their documents, as well as maps and nautical charts
d. Secondary sources that years later interpreted the information provided by the
primary sources and the testimonies transmitted over time

- Up until 1921, the first mass was believed to happened at the Agusan River in Magallanes,
Agusan del Norte
- The shift begun due to a publication of a transcription of a logbook from a pilot of the Victoria
- Geographical Description
- Analysis of the Directions
- Revision of the Maps
- References to the Island of Mazaua
- Placed a cross on an island called “Mazaua” whose location is closer to Cebu

- All leading historians and intellectuals came to the same conclusion as Dr. Antonio de Mora

When did the confusion start?

- The confusion comes from an incorrect reading of the chronicles and the desire of some
missionaries of the 16th and 17th centuries to demand the conversion of the natives of
Mindanao, thanks to the preaching of the Jesuits
- It was written as “Mazaua” in Pigafetta’s Journal
- Historians assert that this is the same “Masagua” mentioned in Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi’s expedition to Butuan

Proof that it indeed happened at Limasawa

- Monograph by Fr. Miguel Bernad in 1981
- Research study by William Henry Scott in 1982

References:
University of the Philippines - Diliman
Vatican News
Saint Paul University Philippines
Southern Leyte Government
2. Cavite Mutiny

- Happened on 1872, along with the martyrdom of the 3 martyr priests (Mariano Gomez, Jose,
Burgoz, and Jacinto Zamora – also known as the GOMBURZA)
- A major factor in the awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos

Spanish Side of the Story

- Spanish historian Jose Montero Y Vidal: “It was an attempt of the Indios to overthrow the
Spanish government.”
- Governor General Rafael Izquierdo: “It was to implicate the native clergy (secularization)”
- Main reasons for the mutiny:
- abolition of privileges enjoyed by the Cavite arsenal workers (non-payment of tribute
and exemption from force labor)
- Spanish revolution which overthrew the secular throne
- Dirty propagandas proliferated by unrestrained press
- Democratic, liberal, and republican books and pamphlets reaching the Philippines
- Presence of the native clergy who, out of animosity against the Spanish friars,
conspired and supported the rebels and enemies of Spain
- Unruly Spanish press who stockpiled malicious propagandas grasped by the Filipinos

- Gov General reported to the King of Spain that the rebels wanted to overthrow the Spanish
government to install a new “hari” in the likes of Fathers Burgos and Zamora
- “The native clergy enticed other participants”
- Lambasted the Indios as gullible and possessed an innate propensity for stealing

- The two deemed that the event was planned earlier, as a big conspiracy
- “Manila and Cavite planned to liquidate high-ranking Spanish officers, to be followed by the
massacre of the friars” and “the alleged pre-concerted signal of the attack was the firing of
rockets in the walls of Intramuros”
- January 20, 1872:
- Sampaloc district celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto with usual fireworks
display
- Those in Cavite mistook the fireworks as the sign of attack, as agreed upon
- 200 men contingent headed by Srgt. Lamadrid launched an attack targeting
Spanish officers at sight and seized the arsenal
- When the news reached Gov. Izquierdo, he readily ordered the reinforcement of the Spanish
forces in Cavite to quell the revolt
- Major instigators, including Srgt. Lamadrid, were killed in the skirmish
- GOMBURZA were tried by a court-martial and were sentenced to die by strangulation
- Patriots, like Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa, and
other abogadillos, were suspended by the Audencia from the practice of law, arrested
and were sentenced with life imprisonment at the Marianas Island
- Gov. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and ordered the creation of
artillery force to be composed exclusively of the Peninsulares
- On February 17, 1872, in an attempt of the Spanish government and Frailocracia to instill fear
among the Filipinos, the GOMBURZA were executed
Filipino Side of the Story

- Filipino scholar and researcher Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera: “the incident was
a mere mutiny by the native Filipino soldiers and the laborers of the Cavite arsenal who
turned out to be dissatisfied of the abolition of their privileges
- Tavera blamed Gov. Izquierdo’s cold-blooded policies
- January 20, 1872: about 200 men comprised of soldiers, laborers of the arsenal, and
residents of Cavite, headed by Sergeant Lamadrid, expecting support from the bulk of the
army, attack Spanish officers in sight
- The support didn't happen, then, the news about the mutiny reached the authorities in
Manila
- Gen Gov. Izquierdo immediately ordered a reinforcement of the Spanish troops in
Cavite
- After two days, the mutiny officially subdued

- Tavera believed that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite mutiny as a powerful
lever by magnifying it as a full-blown conspiracy
- During that time:
- The central government in Madrid announced its intention to deprive the friars of all
the powers of intervention in matters of civil government and the direction and
management of educational institutions
- In the intention of installing reforms, the central government of Spain welcomed an
educational decree authored by Segismundo Moret promoting the fusion of sectarian
schools run by the friars into a school called Philippine Institute
- Friars, fearing that their influence in the Philippines would be a thing in the past, took
advantage of the incident and presented it to the Spanish government as a vast conspiracy
- Madrid government came to believe that the scheme was true without any attempt to
investigate the real facts
- Convicted educated men who participated in the mutiny were sentenced life
imprisonment
- Members of the native clergy headed by the GOMBURZA were tried and executed by
garrote (witnessed by the French writer Edmund Plauchut)

References:
Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
3. Rizal Retraction
- Rizal’s retraction document surfaced only for public viewing on May 13, 1935
- Found by Fr. Manuel A. Garcia at the Catholic hierarchy’s archive in Manila
- Original document was never shown to the public, only reproductions of it
- Spanish Jesuits Fr. Pio Pi: as early as 1907, the retraction was copied verbatim and
published in Spain, and reprinted in Manila
- Garcia, who found the original document, also copied it verbatim
- “I declare myself a Catholic and in this religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live
and die. I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct
has been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church.”

Rizal did not

- In both reproductions there were conflicting version of the text
- Original Spanish document: date was December 29, 1890
- Another supposedly original document: date was December 29, 189C
- Another supposedly original version: date was December 29, 1896
- The forger of Rizal’s signature was Roman Roque, the man who also forged the signature of
Urbano Lacuna, which was used to capture Aguinaldo
- The mastermind, they say, was Lazaro Segovia
- They were approached by Spanish friars during the final day of the Filipino-American
war to forge Rizal’s signature
- The story was revealed by Antonio K. Abad, who heard the tale from Roman Roque himself
- The purported retraction of Rizal was invented by the friars to deflect the heroism of Rizal
which was centered on the friar abuses

Rizal did
- First draft of the retraction was sent by Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda to Rizal’s cell in Fort
Santiago the night before his execution in Bagumbayan
- Rizal was said to have rejected the draft as it was lengthy
- A testimony by a Jesuit missionary Father Vicente Balaguer: Rizal accepted a shorter
retraction document prepared by Father Pio Pi
- Rizal then wrote his retraction after making some modifications in the document
- He disavowed Masonry and religious thoughts that opposed Catholic belief
- Cuerpo de Vigilancia de Manila: a body of documents on the Philippine revolution from
Spanish and Philippine newspapers
- De La Salle University Professor Jose Victor Torres: some documents purchased
by the Philippine government from Spain showed some interesting points about the
retraction
- Head of UST’ Department of History Dr. Augusto De Viana:
- Rizal retracted and he just renounced from the Free Masonry and not from his
famous nationalistic works
- He died as a catholic, and a proof was that he was buried inside the sacred grounds
of the Paco Cemetery (Apolinario Mabini, a revolutionary and freemason, was buried
in a Chinese cemetery)
- Witnesses are present while Rizal was signing the retraction letter
- Just like any person, Rizal was prone to flip-flop
- Rizal retracted because the national hero wanted to be at peace when he dies

References:
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
The Varsitarian - University of Sto. Tomas
4. Cry of Rebellion
- Numerous surviving Katipuneros publicly clashed as to when and where the event happened
- The Katipuneros claimed and rebutted each other’s statements

Pio Valenzuela
- High-ranking official in the Katipunan
- “The event occurred on August 23, 1896 in Pugad Lawin
- Agreed by Katipuneros Briccio Pantas, Cipriano Pacheco, and Vicente Samsom
- Supported by historian Teodoro Agoncillo
- September 1986: “Only that Katipunan meetings took place from Sunday to Tuesday (August
23 to 25) at Balintawak”
- 1911: “Katipunan began meeting on August 22 while the cry took place on August 23 at
Apolonio Samson’s house in Balintawak”
- 1928 to 1940: “the cry happened on August 24 at the house of Tandang Sora in Pugad Lawin
- Photograph of Gregoria de Jesus and Katipunan members Valenzuela, Briccio
Pantas, Alfonso, and Cipriano Pacheco, published in La Opinion in 1928 and 1930,
was captioned both times as having been taken at the site of the Cry on August 24,
1986 at the house of Tandang Sora at Pasong Tamo Road
- 1935: “The first cry of the revolution did not happen in Balintawak where the monument is, but
in a place called Pugad Lawin”
- 1940: research team of the Philippines Historical Committee identified the precise spot of
Pugad Lawin as part of sitio Gulod, Banlat, Kalookan City.
- 1964: NHI’s minutes of the Katipunan referred to the place of the cry as Tandang Sora’s and
not as Juan Ramos’ house, and the date as August 23
- 1963: Upon the NHI endorsement, President Diosdado Macapagal ordered that the cry be
celebrated on August 23 and that Pugad Lawin be recognized as its site

Guillermo Masangkay
- “The cry took place on August 26, 1896 in Balintawak
- The Katipuneros mentioned above were in fact not present when the said cry took place

When did the confusion begin?

- Due to the usage of terminologies
- Cry denotes many meanings which also depend on different interpretations
- As the moment the Katipuneros made a resolution or decision to revolt
(shouting of nationalistic slogans in mass assemblies)
- Cry of Montalban in April 1895, in the Pamitinan Caves: a group of
Katipunan members wrote on the cave walls, “Viva la Independencia
Filipina!” long before the Katipunan decided to launch a nationwide
revolution
- As the tearing of the cedula
- (Teodoro Agoncillo) tearing of the cedula before a crowd of
Katipuneros who then broke out in cheers
- Guardia Civil Manuel Sityar never mentioned in his memoirs
the tearing or inspection of the cedula
- As the first encounter between the Katipuneros and the Spanish Civil Guards
- First military engagement with the enemy; “Himno de Balintawak”
- Identifying the location is also crucial
- Geographical and political boundaries do change over time, hence, identifying the
exact location may arise confusion
- If the Katipuneros who were present at the event were aware of the names of the
places they were in
Other Contention
- The constitution crafted and declared at Biak-na-bato, in its introduction, stated that the
revolution started on August 24, 1986
- Reliable as this was declared by the leaders of revolutionary government and was
declared only after a year

Resolution by the NHI

- August 14, 1986: through NHI Board Resolution No. 2, series of 1986, the NHI declared the
event as the “Cry of Pugad Lawin” which occurred on August 23, 1986
- 2001: A panel was formed to review the case and it resulted in the reaffirmation of the
previous declaration which of the “Cry of Pugad Lawin”

References:
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
National Commission for Culture and the Arts