list of secondary sources used by the panel to come up with their final conclusion on the site of the First Easter Mass in 1521

 

On 31 March 1521, Easter Sunday, the first recorded Catholic mass held in the Philippines. This was led along the banks of what is known in the Antonio Pigafetta magazines as "Mazaua" by Padre Pedro de Valderrama. Today, several historians and the government are commonly believed to be Limasawa at the tip of Southern Leyte, but there are those who argue that instead of Masao, Butuan, the first mass took place.

To end the controversy for the question regarding the first mass, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) panel adopted the recommendation and unanimously decided that the facts and claims raised by the pro-Butuan advocates are not adequate and compelling enough to justify the repeal or reversal of the decision on the case by the NHI (National Historical Institute) (National Historical Institute). It is further reinforce by the evidence that it was only after 22 years, on 1543 Next Spanish expedition led by Ruy de Villalobos lands in Mindanao.

A new panel of experts was established in November 2018, "that re-examined and a year-long examination of historic controversy in the past panels."

The Mojarras panel includes historians, paleographers and translators, national and globally renowned: Dr Danilo Gerona from the Partido State University, Dr Francis Navarro from University of Athens, Dr Carlos Madrid Úlvarez-Piñer from the University of Guam and Mr. Fr. The panel was kept with the historian Jose Victor Torres (De La Salle University). The panel's secretaries were Antonio Francisco of Castro (Loyola School of Theology serving the CBCP) .

On 31 March 1521, the Sunday of Easter, Magellan ordained the celebration of a mass held by Fr Pedro Valderrama, chaplain of the Andalusian Fleet at the time. The First Holy Mass was held along the coasts of the island and marked the birth of the Philippines' Roman Catholicism.

These arguments were made on the basis of new primary sources and facts newly emerged that the previous committees had not taken into account. The mandate for NHCP President Rene Escalante was to 'fully participate in settling or addressing conflicts or problems pertaining to historical persons, places, dates and incidents,' in compliance with Republic Act No. 10086 or the Strengthening of People's nationalism Act 2009. Coincidentally, President Rodrigo Duterte, on 8 May 2018 announced the beginning of plans for the 500th year of the Christianization of the Philippines, signed the Executive Order 55.

The six-person panel of Majors students had the duty of evaluating the reports of the NHI previous panels and position papers provided by the supporters of Butuan and Pro-Limasawa. They reassessed the historical research and the literature, collected existing copies of chronicles and other accounts of Venetian scholar and adventurer Antonio Pigafetta abroad. They also explored the suspected sites in Butuan and Limasawa and consulted geological and cartographical experts. Pigafetta, who was one of 18 Europeans on board a Victoria ship when he arrived, was among the best known accounts of the Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation.

Secondary sources provide examples of:

• Small historical periods surveys,
• Works based on such events or subjects,
• Critical language and history,
• and theoretical and computational work.
• In books, journals or Internet services, secondary references are available.

When we speak about secondary sources, we sometimes refer instead of supplemental materials like bibliographies, encyclopedias, handbooks, etc. to the published scholarship of one subject. This external materials are also considered tertiary origins. An study and perception is a secondary source. It may include a re-reading or study of historically unknown and unwritten incidents and sources of history and primary sources which have previously been studied. A secondary source may also synthesize the work of other scholars so that a whole new theory can be formulated.

The panels sponsored their study through primary and secondary sources including a digital high-resolution reproduction from international organizations of existing Pigafetta manuscripts.