Early Philippine Chronicles — Pigafetta and Plasencia

The Age of Exploration and the Philippine Encounter

The Age of Exploration (roughly the 15th and 16th centuries) marked a turning point for the Philippines. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan's expedition inadvertently reached the Philippine archipelago, setting off a chain of subsequent voyages that would result in the conquest by Miguel López de Legazpi beginning in 1564–1565.

Antonio Pigafetta and the First Voyage Around the World

Background on Pigafetta

Antonio Pigafetta (c. 1491–1531) was an Italian scholar and explorer who became the official chronicler of the Magellan-Elcano expedition. He was among only 18 of the roughly 270 original crew members who returned to Spain, making his account extraordinarily rare.

His account is important because it is a primary source (he was aboard the expedition) and remains the most detailed surviving firsthand narrative of the first circumnavigation of the globe.

The Manuscripts

Four known manuscript versions survive:

• One in Italian, held at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan
• Three in French, the earliest of which (Le Voyage et Navigation) dates to around 1525 in Paris

Key Events from Pigafetta's Account

Magellan's fleet — five ships (Victoria, Concepción, San Antonio, Santiago, Trinidad) and approximately 270 crew — left Seville on August 10, 1519.

Key narrative highlights:

• On October 21, 1520, Magellan discovered the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — now called the Strait of Magellan. Only three ships made it through.
• Crossing the Pacific brought immense suffering. The crew was reduced to eating leather, sawdust, and mice.
• On March 16, 1521, they landed on the island of Zamal (Samar), marking the first European contact with the Philippines. Magellan named the islands the Archipelago of St. Lazarus.
• Proceeding to Homonhon, they encountered Rajah Siagun and Rajah Colambu of Butuan and Caraga.
• On March 27–28, they reached Masao (Mazaua?) in Butuan, where Magellan and Rajah Colambu performed a blood compact. On March 31, Mass was offered and a cross was erected.
• They sailed to Cebu, arriving April 7, 1521, where they met Rajah Humabon. Over 800 natives including Humabon and his wife were baptized. The Santo Niño was presented as a gift — an image still venerated in Cebu today.
• Lapu-Lapu of Mactan refused to submit. Magellan led an assault on Mactan personally on April 27, 1521 and was killed in the Battle of Mactan.

Fray Juan de Plasencia and the Customs of the Tagalogs

Fray Juan de Plasencia, a Franciscan friar who arrived in the Philippines in 1577, wrote Customs of the Tagalogs (c. 1589) — one of the earliest and most detailed descriptions of Tagalog religious beliefs, social practices, and daily life.

His account reflects the perspective of a Spanish missionary, which creates significant bias: Plasencia consistently frames indigenous religious practices as idolatrous or superstitious. His purpose was partly descriptive and partly evangelical — he documented practices in order to help other missionaries understand and eventually replace them.

Key Topics in Plasencia's Account

On their religious beliefs: The Tagalogs recognized a supreme deity they called Bathala ("the maker of all things"), who dwelled in heaven. They also venerated the moon (especially during its new phase), certain stars (the morning star, called Tala, and the Pleiades, called Mapolon and Balatic), various idols called lic-ha, and crocodiles (buaya) out of fear.

On rites of passage: During a girl's first menstrual period, she was blindfolded for four days and four nights while relatives gathered for a feast. After this period, a ritual figure called the catalonan bathed her, washed her head, and removed the blindfold, reportedly to bring her good fortune in marriage and fertility.

On religious specialists (listed by Plasencia as "Priests of the Devil"):

On beliefs about death and burial: The deceased was buried beside their house. The Tagalogs believed in an afterlife: maca (a place of rest, like paradise) for the just and valiant, and casamaan (a place of punishment) for the wicked.

Note: The term "Priest of the Devil" reflects Plasencia's colonial-Christian framing. These roles were understood very differently within Tagalog culture itself.