Mazaua: Masao or Limasawa or Elsewhere?

08 October 2025 Feature | Surigao Historical Society | Local History
 

The fabled anchorage of Ferdinand Magellan upon his first landfall in the Philippine archipelago has long intrigued scholars, seafarers, and regional historians. Known in the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta as Mazaua (or Mazzawa), this site marked the first Catholic mass celebrated on Philippine soil, an event enshrined in the national narrative. Centuries later, the true location of Mazaua continues to stir debate: was it really Masao in Butuan, Limasawa in Southern Leyte, or another unknown isle in Surigao del Norte?.

A Muddled Historical Watershed

Magellan’s expedition entered the Philippine archipelago via the Surigao Strait in March 1521. The Genoese chronicler Pigafetta recorded their first stop at an island called Humunu (identified by some as Homonhon), which he described as Agua de la Buena Señal or the “Island of Good Watering Sign”. From there, they moved to Mazaua, where the crew anchored for several days and celebrated mass.

Pigafetta’s account gave tantalizing clues, including good anchorage, plentiful food, a warm reception by a local king, and a location along the route to Butuan. However, the exact location remains an open question, compounded by the fact that Magellan, despite being aware he had ventured into Portuguese territory (east of the demarcation line), knowingly planted the Spanish cross there to claim dominion for Spain.

The Contending Claims

The controversy over Mazaua typically centers on two main sites:

1. The Limasawa Claim: The most commonly accepted theory, endorsed by the Philippine government and mainstream historical institutions, places Mazaua at Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte. This interpretation argues that Pigafetta simply misspelled the name, and that Limasawa’s geography roughly fits his description. Pigafetta’s sketches show Mazaua as an island located between Ceilon (Leyte) and Bohol.

2. The Case for Masao (Butuan): Authored by Fernando A. Almeda Jr. in Surigao Across the Years, this alternate argument asserts that the evidence favors Masao in Butuan, especially when considering longitude and nautical logic. If Magellan’s intention was to reach Butuan and Calagan, Masao becomes a more likely staging point for their diplomatic and religious activities. The Butuan coast offered a broader bay and better anchorage than Limasawa, making it a more plausible rest stop for Magellan’s weary crew. Historical ties between the Rajahship of Butuan—once a prosperous trading nation recognized in Chinese trade records—and early foreign traders further support this notion. The Rajah of Butuan, Kulambu, was visiting his brother Rajah Si-Aui of Eastern Caraga Region and was the first person to meet Magellan.

The Case for Mahaba (Surigao del Norte)

A third, less commonly known theory, put forth by Engr. Sulit, argues that Magellan landed in Mahaba (Masaplid) Island in Surigao del Norte. This island appears on present detailed maps to be Mahaba Island in the Municipality of Placer.

• Geographic Fit: This theory aligns with Pigafetta's recorded latitude of Mazaua at Nine and two thirds degrees (approximately 9°40’ N). This location is neither Masao nor Limasawa, but rather on the west coast of Surigao del Norte.

• The First Mass Site: It is proposed that Magellan anchored near Mahaba Island and then went ashore to the palace of Rajah Si-Aui (brother of Rajah Kulambu, King of Butuan) at what is now the Municipality of Claver. The first mass was allegedly celebrated on the shore now named Barangay Magallanes in Claver, Surigao del Norte. The purpose of landing here was strategically to look at the seas beyond Surigao to decide if Surigao Strait could be entered on the route back to the Spice Islands.

A Question of Longitude and Politics

The debate over Mazaua’s location is profoundly political, beyond mere geographical comparison. The coordinates recorded by Pigafetta suggest that Magellan was deliberately claiming territory that should have belonged to the Portuguese under the Papal Bull Inter Caetera and the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Furthermore, Almeda points out that Pigafetta’s records were influenced by navigational errors, editorial translation, and political bias, allowing later historians to mold Mazaua into whichever location suited the dominant historical discourse. By the time Pigafetta’s account was canonized, the name Limasawa had already become linked with national identity, despite numerous inconsistencies when compared with the original journals.

Five Questions to Spark Your Curiosity

1. Historical Cartography vs. Political Imposition: Given that Pigafetta’s coordinates (9°40' N) and descriptions seem to contradict the Limasawa claim, why did official history cement Limasawa as Mazaua’s location?.

2. Strategic Choice or Serendipity? Was Magellan’s anchorage in Mazaua a calculated choice for diplomacy and trade with the Rajahship of Butuan, or was it a random landfall in the Pacific?.

3. Forgotten Butuan: How did Butuan—once a pre-Hispanic trading superpower with gold reserves and regional influence—get overshadowed in the telling of this pivotal moment in Philippine history?.

4. Religious Politics: Did the Catholic Church’s interest in identifying a “first mass” site influence the selection of a more convenient or politically neutral location like Limasawa?.

5. Rewriting Regional History: How would accepting Masao (or Mahaba/Claver) as the true site of the first mass shift the focus of national heritage from Leyte to Caraga, and what would it mean for Surigaonon identity?.

Explore Further, Engage Deeper

This story provides a glimpse of the complex, sometimes contradictory, layers of early Philippine colonial contact. The Mazaua question opens up new avenues of inquiry not only for scholars but for communities seeking to reclaim their rightful place in history. To explore more: Interact with the book through Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Visit the customized GPT by Open AI HERE and the Book Section of the Surigao Historical Society HERE

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