via Philippine News Agency, 19 March 2021: Christianity (specifically Roman Catholicism) is the main religion of the Philippines and the site where the first mass was held in the country 500 years holds a certain prestige and significance. Limasawa in Southern Leyte and Magallanes in Agusan del Norte province both claim this.
The quest to recognize this city as the site of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines has taken another turn after a criminal complaint was filed against the members of a panel tasked to determine the site of the historic religious rite marking the start of Christianization in the country.
In a resolution issued in July last year, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) sustained previous conclusions indicating that the first Catholic mass was celebrated during Easter Sunday in 1521 in Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte.
The NHCP decision was based on recommendations made by an investigating panel led by Dr. Resil B. Mojares, whose group was formed through President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 55 in May 2018.
Source: Quest to name Butuan site of first Catholic mass takes legal turn | Philippine News Agency
