In the city of Manila, on the seventh day of the month of December, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia and Chancillería residing in the said city, examined the petition of the protector of the natives of these islands, presented in the name of the inhabitants of Tondo and its district, in regard to their ordering that this city of Manila should be provided with the fowls and swine necessary for its sustenance, from all the provinces and villages of this neighborhood, allotting among them equitably what each one is obliged to furnish, so that no one be overburdened; but, since all this has been thus done until now, the said village and tributes of his Majesty are being depopulated and growing smaller. The said Audiencia having likewise seen the want and necessity which has existed, and exists at present, of the said fowls, swine, and eggs, for the sustenance of this city--although, to remedy the difficulty, the said president and auditors have enacted other ordinances and acts--they declared that, in order that the provisions of the said act may be better fulfilled, and with greater ease and convenience, and less vexation to the natives, since the inhabitants of each one of the villages of these environs know what assistance they owe, they [the Audiencia] ought to order, and they did so order, that, now and henceforth, the alcaldes-mayor of these environs of Manila--namely, those of Tondo, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Mindoro, Balayan--shall be under the obligation of providing this city from their said districts with the fowls, swine, and eggs necessary for its sustenance, at the time and in the quantity and order following. First, the year shall be apportioned and divided as follows for each alcalde-mayor: That of Tondo, the first three months of the year--January, February, and March. That of Pampanga, the next three months--April, May, and June. That of Bulacan, the next two months--for the inhabitants of Bulacan, July and August. That of Laguna, the next two months--for the inhabitants of Laguna, September and October. That of Mindoro and Balayan, the next two months--November and December.