The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 17 of 55 / 1609-1616 / 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

by Unknown

Order of St. Dominic.

List of the houses and missions of the Order of St. Dominic in these Philipinas Islands.

It has one convent in the city of Manila, with sixteen friars—six priests and six lay brethren.

It has a mission [doctrina] in the town of Binondoc and Baybay with two ministers for six hundred Sangleys, or a trifle less. For the hospital of San Gabriel it has two religious—one a priest and the other a lay-brother—and there the Sangley infidels are nursed and instructed.

It has a mission in the district of Batan with four priests for one thousand six hundred Indians.

It has four missions in the province of Pangasinan. The first is called Bina Lato-gan and has four religious, three of whom are lay-brethren, and one who is not, for one thousand three hundred Indians.

The second is in Calasiao and has two ministers for one thousand and thirty Indians. The third is Magaldan and has two ministers for nine hundred Indians. The fourth is Mauazuag and has two religious, one a lay-brother and one who is not, for four hundred Indians, or a trifle less, and the new conversion in the tingues.

It has eleven missions in the province of Cagayan. The first is called Pata and has two ministers for eight hundred Indians. The second is called Tular and has two ministers for one thousand one hundred Indians or a trifle more. The third is called Potol and has two ministers for three hundred Indians and the new conversion laid open on the creek of Mandayas. The fourth is called Camaluyuga and has three ministers for six hundred Indians, or a few more or less. The fifth is that of Nueva Segovia where the Spanish live. There is a convent there that has charge of the mission of Bagunbaya, which has two ministers for one hundred Indians, or a few more or less. It is to be noted that this house receives no alms, either from his Majesty or from encomenderos, or from Indians, and consequently it is in great need. The sixth is called Tocolana and has three ministers for one thousand Indians. The seventh is called Asiping and has two ministers for seven hundred Indians or a trifle more. The eighth is called Pia and is situated on the creek of Lobo. It has three ministers for two thousand Indians. The ninth is called Malaguey and has two ministers for one thousand Indians. The tenth is called Tuguiguerao. For one thousand three hundred Indians it has three ministers. The eleventh is called Pititan and has four ministers for one thousand six hundred Indians and for the new conversion among the tingues of Zinbuey.

Fray Baltasar Fort, prior provincial.

Item: We have three houses in Japon. One is in Nangasaqui, and has three priests and one lay-brother; another in Sanga, which is situated in the kingdom of Figen, with three religious—two priests and one lay-brother, the third in Meaco, the residence of the Dayfo, with two priests.

[Endorsed: “List given by the convent of St. Dominic in accordance with his Majesty’s order.”]

---

[1] Marcos de Lisboa was born of a noble family in Lisboa, Portugal. At an early age he was sent to India to engage in its commerce. Establishing himself at Malacca, he took the vows in 1582, in the Franciscan convent established there in the preceding year by Juan Bautista Pisaro. In 1586 he went to the Philippines, where he projected and later helped to found (1594) the Confraternity of La Misericordia at Manila. He later spent a number of years in the province of Camarines, where he labored extensively. He was elected three times as definitor (1602, 1608, and 1616), and once (January 16, 1609), as vicar-provincial. In 1618 he went to Mexico, whence (July 16, 1622), he went to Madrid, and then to Rome to take part in the general chapter of his order. At the conclusion of the chapter he retired to the convent of San Gil at Madrid, where he died in the beginning of 1628. Lisboa left a number of written works, among them four in the Bicol language, which he was the first to write. See Huerta’s Estado, pp. 447, 448.