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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55: 1606-1609; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of The Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 14 of 55: 1606-1609; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of The Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources

An itemized statement of the "annual receipts and expenditures of
the Philippine government" (August 18, 1608) enumerates these. The
receipts comprise the tributes, by encomiendas; the royal tenths
of gold, and the ecclesiastical tithes; customs duties; and fines
from the courts. All these sources of income amount to over one
hundred and twenty thousand pesos. Then are mentioned, in order, the
expenses: for salaries of government officials, alcaldes and other
local magistrates; wages of government workmen, pilots, sailors, and
others; supplies in the ship-yards, etc., and purchases for various
purposes; salaries of ecclesiastics, and other expenses for churches
and missions. To these are added "extraordinary expenses:" the cost
of embassies to neighboring rulers; salaries paid to collectors of
tribute, and others; expenses of the soldiers and their officers;
and salaries to the wardens of forts. All these expenses amount to
over two hundred and fifty-five thousand pesos a year, more than
twice as much as the income.

Felipe III writes to Velasco, the viceroy of Nueva Espana (September 27
1608), regarding the proposed way-station for Philippine vessels. After
summarizing a letter on this subject from Velasco's predecessor,
Montesclaros, the king approves the latter's advice to choose, as
such way-station, the islands called Rica de Oro and Rica de Plata
(afterward found to be fabulous) instead of Monterey; and orders
Velasco to see that a port and settlement be established there, the
enterprise to be conducted by Sebastian Vizcaino. Another decree (May
3, 1609) states that, as Velasco has not carried out this order, and
advices have been received that the said exploration and settlement
should be made from the Philippines, the king decides upon this
latter measure, and the enterprise is to be placed in the hands of
the governor of the islands. Letters from the king (May 26 and July
29) to Juan de Silva, the new governor of the islands, direct him
not to allow the Indians to pay their tributes in personal services,
and to inform the king regarding the proposal of the Dominicans to
found a college in the islands.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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