Limasawa, Southern Leyte Etymology

Jack Maico
Oct 23
3 min read

It is said that before the Spaniards landed on the island, the natives did not really have a name for the island. When asked, and because they did not understand Spanish, one of the natives mistakenly thought he was asked, “How many wives does the Rajah have?” he immediately replied, “lima’y asawa,” or five wives. From then on, the island was called Limasawa.

Source: https://southernleyte.gov.ph/limasawa/limasawa-history

Special credits: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064679199703

Church in town: 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬

Holy Cross and First Mass Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Limasawa, Southern Leyte, Philippines. Its patroness is Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar).

Limasawa Island is considered the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines, tracing its history to the first Catholic Easter Sunday mass held at the beginning of the Spanish conquest.

Colonizer Ferdinand Magellan sailed from Europe to establish a maritime route for trading spices to the Moluccas in 1521, and his expedition reached Homonhon Island on March 16 of the same year. On March 28, 1521, as they sailed westward they reached an island called Mazava/Mazaua. They were welcomed by the natives led by Rajah Kolambu, the chieftain of the island, and his sibling Rajah Siagu, the king of Butuan and Calagan (Caraga).

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, the Spaniards set foot on the island to celebrate the First Easter Mass by Augustinian friar Fr. Pedro de Valderama on Philippine soil and to plant a cross.

From Magellan’s exploration up to 1921, Mazava/Mazaua was thought to be located at the mouth of the Agusan River in the present-day town of Magallanes in northeastern Mindanao. Since then, historians identified Limasawa Island as the site of the country’s first Easter Sunday Mass following the publication of the logbook of Victoria, one of the ships in Magellan’s fleet.

Limasawa was previously part of Malitbog and then of Padre Burgos. It became a town by Presidential Decree No. 1549 in 1978, but its status was not realized. Through a presidential issuance on March 17, 1989, a plebiscite was held and the electorate approved its creation as an independent municipality.

Magallanes, Limasawa, was declared a National Shrine by Republic Act No. 2733 on June 19, 1960. Following the report by the Mojares Panel in 2020, the site of the first mass was declared to be in Triana.

The church was established in 1994.

This is the landmark of the First Mass in the Philippines, located in Barangay Magallanes. A perfect place for the renewal of faith. One can also trek the 450 steps uphill going to the First Cross Monument not only to pay respect to the cross, the symbol of Christ’s suffering for the atonement of sins, but also to see the Municipality of Padre Burgos, Sogod Bay, Camiguin Island, Bohol Province and the Canigao/Bohol seas. It provides a glimpse of the traditional house (Balangay) or the “long house” of the head of the village named Rajah Kolambu. This is also the venue for the annual celebration of the SINUGDAN Festival- a re-enactment of the First Mass in the Philippines.

Source: https://www.theoldchurches.com/.../shrine-of-the-holy.../

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

Limasawa is historically important and is known worldwide as the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines. According to historical records, Ferdinand Magellan went to Limasawa after first landing and resting on the island of Homonhon in March 1521.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐰𝐚: