The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 23 of 55 / 1629-30 / 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

Chapter XXIII

Of the election, in the islands, of father Fray Agustín de Alburquerque

It appears that now the provinces of Filipinas were gathering greater strength, for, while they were being colonized, the increasing trade and the relations with Méjico were excellent; the religious were increasing, in the temporal and spiritual, throughout the province, which was obtaining many and good laborers; and convents were being built. That of Manila and that of Santísimo Nombre de Jesús, in particular, were laying their foundations, in order to erect stone buildings; for, however strong wooden supports may be, yet with the lapse of time they finally decay and become useless. This does not happen so quickly with what is made of stone, which lasts much longer and opposes the inclemencies of the weather.

At first we used to make our houses in the manner of the inhabitants of the country themselves; for, in short, they know more of their climate, as they have more experience therein, and God gave them more adequate knowledge of the products of the islands, so that they might make use of them. The islands are by nature very damp. If one digs down two palmos he finds water. Therefore, humanly speaking, it is impossible to make cellars as in España, or to live upon the ground, because it would play havoc with one. For this mother nature provided these Indians with certain woods, so large and hard that, after planting them in the earth, the Indians build their houses upon them, at a height of one and one-half, two, or three brazas. These timbers or columns are called harigues, and the wood is that called tugás.[81] These timbers having been placed, as I say, upright in the earth, and having the space of more than a braza beneath them, form the columns of the edifice, and upon them the natives build. We have all made use of this method of building in these islands. We have built fine houses and churches from these woods—for which, inasmuch as many villages assist in the building, the largest columns and those of known goodness are sought, which last many years. In conformity with this, while I was building a house in the town of Dumangas, on the Alaguer River, a very large house was there, belonging to an encomendero living there, one Ruy López de Arellano, a native of Constantina. This man died, and the house being already half fallen, I was having it taken down, in order to make some use of it, before time should finish its destruction, and the river bear it away, which was very rapidly being done. I took down from it one column, in particular, which the Indians assured me had been brought there more than thirty years before by the Indians up the river. I affirm that at the ground line it was eaten in about a finger’s length around. All the rest was in perfect condition. And I observed that the part that had been under ground was in much better condition. There are other columns left as inheritances from father to children, and to grandchildren, upon which many houses have been built. The walls, which are called dingding, are made of excellent timber. The walls of the Indians’ houses are made of bamboo, inasmuch as they are poorer. The roof is made of palm-leaf, called nipa. Instead of nails, the natives use certain strong ligaments, made from flexible roots, called bejuco [i.e., rattan], where we use nails. These houses, then, are considered more healthy; for as it is usually very hot in the islands, these houses are much more cool, and the winds blow through them with greater ease. When Manila had wooden houses, it was more healthy. But now they have taken to making stone edifices, and those not of stone are rare. Stone is also being used to build outside of Manila, and already there are many houses and churches of that material. If one considers this closely, even though economy be not considered, necessity was bound to impose this. For there could be no woods to furnish so many columns, and the dragging of them thither would be very costly. Hence, by collecting money, which is easier for the natives, they summon Chinese, who do what work is desired; and, if it is wished, they paint the building. Therefore, because of the aforesaid reasons, our convent at Manila was begun in stone. It is now, as I have remarked, the best in the islands; and daily it is being made more notable by further work.

The fathers held a chapter meeting in 1578, and peaceably and quietly cast their votes for father Fray Agustín de Alburquerque, a man of whom we have already said sufficient of his occupations, virtue, zeal, and prudence. As soon as he beheld himself invested with the ermine, he gave his attention to everything possible, looking after both the spiritual good of the province—the principal thing—and the temporal, extending and spreading the province. He established religious in Bulacán, and that place is now one of the principal and more desirable convents. It has an excellent stone house and church, and about six hundred tributes.[82] It is about six leguas north of Manila. It has usually two religious. The Tagál language is spoken there. The alcalde-mayor of that jurisdiction, which has about four thousand Indians, lives in Bulacán. All the Manila religious extol the Indians of this town as the most tractable and most attached to the church.

He established religious in Candava also. This is the last convent in Pampanga, and formerly was most flourishing, although now it in very dilapidated. Near it is a beautiful and copious river,[83] which divides into many branches as it approaches the sea, and all these branches empty into Manila Bay. Hence one may go to all these convents both by sea and by the estuaries, without sail. Therefore, one can go and come without depending on the weather. It has now about six hundred Indians.[84] It is one and one-half day’s journey from Manila. Two religious live there. It has a very fine wooden house, and the church is built of the same material.

Religious were firmly established in Macabebe. This is, in my opinion, the finest priorate of all Pampanga, and the chief one. It lies on a branch of the Candava River, as above stated; and in the middle of the road has a very good wooden house and church. Three religious lived there generally, for it had more than one thousand three hundred Indians. A visita called Minalampara was taken away from it, which is a vicariate. With that the said town of Macabebe was left with about one thousand Indians.[85] Two religious live there generally.

All this Pampanga country is swampy. For such is the condition of the rivers, that the people have their conduits, and, when they need water let it in. This is the reason for the vast quantity of rice there. This province has abundance of cocoa-palms, and many bananas. The soil is very favorable for any trees that one might choose to plant there. When the religious arrived there, that province had many inhabitants. Now, although it lacks that great number of former years, yet it is not depopulated.[86] The people there have accepted Christianity more readily than all others of the islands. They have more to do with the Spaniards than the others, and try to imitate them as far as possible. But the more they try to do that, the more do they show their texture as Indians. Very many people have been conscripted from this district, and I wonder that a man is left. For the governors send soldiers from here to Maluco, Sugbú, Octóng, and Caragán, where a fort has been built and is guarded by the men of Pampanga. And although they do more work than the Spanish soldiers, they receive no pay, their food is scarce, and they are ill treated. And yet it can be said of these Indians (and a strange thing it is), that although they are treated so harshly, it is not known that a single one has deserted to the Dutch in Maluco, where they suffer more than in their own country. Many of the other Indians go and come. When these soldiers leave Pampanga, they present a fine appearance, for the villages come to their aid, each with a certain sum, for their uniforms. All this is due to the teaching of the religious of our father St. Augustine, whose flock these Indians are, and the children of their teaching.

Besides the above religious, the provincial established others in a settlement in the village of Bacolor, which is the best village not only of Pampanga, but of all the islands; for it has more than one thousand Indians under the bell [i.e., “who are Christians”]. It is about one and one-half days’ journey from Manila by sea and creeks, as in the case of the others. It has the best meadow-land in the islands, and it all produces rice abundantly. It is irrigated, as was remarked above of the others. It has a celebrated church with its crucifix, which is entirely built of stone and brick. The house is made of stone also. The inhabitants are the richest and best-clothed of all Pampanga, and have the most prominent of the chiefs. When the supply of religious is good, there are always three in this village, and there have even been at times four or five; for besides the stipend paid by his Majesty (who owns this encomienda), it has its own chaplaincies, founded by the said inhabitants of Pampanga. It also has its own altar fund, which, although not very important as yet, will yield something for the support of those in charge there. All the territory of Pampanga is surrounded by mountains where dwell Zambales and Negrillos, who descend to the villages for the purpose of head-hunting; for there is nothing so much to their taste as this. A people without abiding-place or house cannot be punished. They rest at night where they choose; and sustain themselves on roots and what game they bring down with their bows. The children, as they are raised with this milk, and as they are given suck of human blood, die by pouring out their own blood.

Many misfortunes occur yearly, and we have only the pain of not being able to remedy them. And although the Indians know this, they do not, on that account, watch more carefully or have greater vigilance over themselves. On the contrary they proceed with so great abandon that one marvels. If they are censured, they answer: “What can we do, since there is nothing besides the will of God?” The same thing happens in regard to the crocodiles. Although the people see that the crocodiles seize them daily, they proceed with the same abandon; notwithstanding that, with but little toil, they could remedy this, by catching them or by making some enclosed bathing places in the rivers. But they neglect to do this, either through laziness, or in order not to toil for another’s gain. For they say: “What is given me by another, or by the village?” Under no circumstance do they unite in doing anything for the common good, unless the alcalde-mayor or the father orders it. Finally, it is necessary that the father govern and rule [even] those most enlightened and civilized. Hereabout it is said that the village is such as is the prior. If the prior makes them assist, they do so. If he leaves them they are overcome by their laziness. They forget what has been taught them, with the ease to which they accommodate themselves. They learn with ease everything evil, without a master; but for the good, one master is not sufficient for each Indian. For they are greatly given to following their inclination, which causes great grief to the ministers.[87] But not all men can be saints; and, since the Lord gave them no greater talent, He desires them to be saved with what they have. Homines, et jumenta salvabis, Domine.[88] All of these convents are located within the archbishopric of Manila.

The father provincial went further, and established religious in the island of Panay. The reader may remember the description that we gave of it, and which he will find in the next to the last place to the convent of Tigbauan; for there the provincial established resident religious. This convent has been in many different hands; for at first, as appears, we had it in charge, and then the seculars had it. The fathers of the Society followed the latter, after which a Portuguese secular had charge of it for a considerable time. He, in order to relieve his burden, exchanged it for another district of the order called Ibahay, which was the first priorate given me in these islands by the order, and in my opinion better than Tigbauan. The only thing which made it troublesome were five islands which had visitas that belonged to it, where it had all that was needed. The order has held it for some time, and it is not so good as others. It is a royal encomienda. The village of Arévalo is situated near by. Therefore, whenever the religious are sick, there is never lack there in the presidio of a surgeon, who, without being able to distinguish his right hand, bleeds and purges, so that in a brief time the sick man is laid in his grave; and a religious or a Spaniard is worth a great deal in this country. Daily our number is lessening, for the country furnishes but little help. It cannot be compared to Nueva España, which has enough inhabitants for itself, and to spare. Nothing increases here, or succeeds. The creoles do not reach their majority, and death comes upon them unseasonably.[89]