The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 36, 1649-1666: 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 36, 1649-1666: 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
"In the year 1644, occurred the so terrible earthquake which destroyed
and overthrew two-thirds of the temples and buildings of Manila, and
buried many persons among their ruins. In the year 46, the ship which
was returning from this kingdom to those islands was wrecked. In that
year and in that of 47 no ships could come here, for the Dutch held
those seas, and they were committing great depredations and robberies
in those islands. In the year 49, the ship 'Encarnacion' ran aground
while returning, and was lost with all the cargo aboard it, while some
of the people lost their lives. There was no ship in the year 1650,
for that which was coming had to put back into port. 'Nuestra Señora
de Guia' was almost wrecked among the islands when returning, with
great loss and damage on the goods carried. No help was sent to those
islands in the year 51-52. Let so many misfortunes be considered, and
whether so many losses demand extraordinary reënforcements. Let one
consider what must be the present gloomy conditions in those islands
since the reënforcements have failed there for so many years. Let one
consider whether an extraordinary and all-surpassing reënforcement
is now rightly due and demanded, and according to the command of his
Majesty. For, as appears by his decrees, he ordered in past years, on
hearing of some of the above-mentioned troubles, that those islands
be reënforced, even though the usual money and treasure should not
be sent to España for that purpose."
The father continues to speak of the sacrifices made by the citizens
of Manila because of the wars with the Dutch, not only giving money to
the royal treasury, but also military service in the Plaza de Armas
and manning the galleys with their slaves. In the time of Corcuera,
money was taken from the charitable fund of the Misericordia for
the maintenance of the infantry; and the gratings and balconies,
and even the bells, served for the making of nails and artillery.
Therefore, the father states the necessity to the islands of a governor
who should have as his chief aim the relief of the soldiers, and of
the other classes who received assistance from the state.
This relation is dated September 15, 1652.
JESUIT MISSIONS IN 1655
Father Fray Miguel Solana [12] of the Society of Jesus, provincial
of this province of Filipinas, in fulfilment of the royal decree,
of which he was notified by order of your Excellency, commanding him
to give accurate information of the religious whom the Society has
engaged in work in the missions of the Indians and of the villages
which are in their charge, declares that all the villages and missions
that they administer are located in the archbishopric of Manila and
the bishopric of the city of Dulce Nombre de Jesus, where there are
sixty-seven priests, distributed as follows:
There are seventeen in the archbishopric of the city of Manila.
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