Magellan: Great Explorer or Villain?

Top 2. Nov 15, 2001 7:33 PM

» jopayil - Re: Flashback!

In response to message posted by ruby:

Thanks for dropping by, Ruby. I have some memories of "the nuns," though few. I went to Colegio De Sta. Rosa in Makati from K-Grade 4. We were just starting on Philippine history when I left for the states.

Johanna

-- posted by jopayil

Top 3. Jan 23, 2003 9:34 AM

» Jresoe357 - Re: Re: Flashback!

First off, thank you for sharing your knowledge on this site. I have to mention to you though that some of the events that you have mentioned on the latter part of your story is not accurate. Magellan and his crew DID NOT first land in Samar. They saw the Samar mountains when they were approaching the Philippine
archipelago, but their first landfall happened in Limasawa island, which is part of the island of Leyte (it's now part of Southern Leyte province). It was on this island that they conducted the first holy mass on the Philippine islands. Then Magellan sailed to an island on what is now known as Cebu where he befriended the chieftain Raha Humabon and converted him and his people to christianity. It was Raha Humabon who asked Magellan's favor to help him fight his enemy Raha Kalipulako, who we popularly know as Lapu-Lapu, on the neighboring island of Mactan. What happened next, as we all know, was that Magellan was defeated and killed on the shores of Mactan by the spears of Lapu-Lapu's men. Please verify this part of the story if you doubt the facts presented here.

To give you a background of myself, I was born and grew up on the island of Leyte and completed elementary and high school there. Then I went to college in Cebu City. Through this background, I am very much well versed to the story of Magellan and Lapu-Lapu.

-- posted by Jresoe357

Top 4. Jul 23, 2003 6:45 AM

» jopayil - Re: Re: Re: Flashback!

In response to message posted by Jresoe357:

Hi,

I appreciate your comments and further expounding on the details of Magellan's unfortunate fate in Cebu. I had relied on three historical books for sources in writing this article. After reading your comments, I did further research just for comparisons. Based on articles that appeared in Smithsonian magazine, encyclopedias, and articles dedicated to Samar-Leyte history, they all concur that according to Magellan's chronicler Antonio Pigafetta, the first landfall of Magellan and his crew was on the small island of Homonhon, the Southern tip of Samar Island on March 17, 1521, a day after they first sighted Samar Island. After eight days, they proceeded to sail to Limasawa where the First Mass in the Philippines (unless this is contested by those in Davao) was held on March 31, 1521. Thus, the First Cross of Magellan was erected on the island of Leyte.

Forgive the omission of some details on this article as its main focus is to portray Ferdinand Magellan as an accomplished navigator and how this fact was lost in the politics of his day, and not exactly on Philippine history.

-- posted by jopayil