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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 43, 1670-1700: 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 — John Shaqi

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 43, 1670-1700: 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

that one sort of ministers succeeding thus to others, neither the
one nor the other sort could get a foothold, or be able to put the
preaching or the evangelical instruction on a sound basis among them.

It happened, then, in the year 1676, that the alcalde-mayor
of Pampanga, then Sargento-mayor Don Francisco de Texada, and
Sargento-mayor Alonso Fernandez Pacheco, former chief commandant
of the fort of Balas, began communication with the Zambal Indians
of Buquil and having gained their good will with their zeal for
the welfare of their souls, persuaded them to become baptized,
for as abovesaid, most of the people of Buquil were heathens. They
answered that they would become baptized if they were given Dominican
ministers; for they wished to be administered by them alone. Having
received that petition and proposal of the Indians, the said alcalde
and commandant informed the governor of these islands, then the
master-of-camp, Don Manuel de Leon. He desirous of the reduction of
those infidels, petitioned the father provincial of this province,
then father Fray Phelipe Pardo, to send some religious to Zambales as
missionaries for those mountains, in order to ascertain whether the
effect of reducing those barbarians to the faith of Christ could be
obtained in that way--a matter that all desired greatly. By virtue
of that, the father provincial sent father Fray Pedro de Alarcon [5]
and father Fray Domingo de Escalera to the place called Buquil. To
another place called Balacbac, which is located behind the mountains
of Abucay, he sent the father vicar of the said village, namely,
Father Domingo Perez. The latter immediately departed for Balacbac and
having assembled some Indians there, baptized nine, and returned to
Abucay, bringing five Zambals with him whom he afterward catechised
and baptized. One of them was the nephew of the priest of the idols,
and the father taught him to read and write, for he was more clever
than the others. That Indian was very useful, and afterward was of
much help to the said father in the reduction of the Zimarrones of
the mountains, and in telling their customs and idolatries. The two
fathers who were at Buquil, assembled some Indians into a place which
they called Nuestra Señora de Atocha, where they baptized some and
catechised others. But the governor having died at the beginning
of the following year, the former ministers of that province began
to complain to the father provincial that we were entering their
administration. Notwithstanding that he had a sound reply that the
vice-patron of those fields of Christendom had entrusted the matter
to us, the father provincial in order to avoid anger between both
orders, enjoined the fathers to return. That was the end of that first
entrance which our religious made in Zambales. The provincial chapter
was held after that, and in it the said father Fray Domingo Perez was
elected vicar of Samal. The latter, by virtue of the order which was

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