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

Balaoang is now in the province of La Unión, and has a civilized population of 10,008. See ut supra.

[117] In 1893 the three provinces of La Unión and South and North Ilocos had, in the lowlands, forty-two villages with a total population of 349,205; and in the mountains fifteen missions in Abra, Lepanto, and Benguet, with a population of 43,044, or a total of 392,249. All were under charge of the Augustinians.—Coco.

Ilocos Norte now contains 178,995 (2,210 wild) inhabitants, Ilocos Sur, 187,411 (13,611 wild); and La Unión, 137,839 (10,050 wild). The province of Abra contains 51,860 (14,037 wild) inhabitants; Benguet, 22,745 (21,828 wild); and Lepanto-Bontoc, 72,750 (70,283 wild). See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[118] Fray Francisco Mercado took his vows in the Manila convent in 1611. He was a missionary at Laoag (1614, 1626, 1635) and Batác (1620, 1641), provisor of the bishop of Nueva Segovia (1623), and definitor (1632). He gave generous alms to the province from his own funds, showing special favor to the convents of Guadalupe and Bantay. In the latter he acquired a fine estate, with the intention of building a hospital for the Ilocan friars; and at that convent he collected a good library, which was later removed to Manila. He died at Batác in 1642. See Perez’s Catálogo, p. 194.

[119] “Ilaoag” is the capital of the province of Ilocos Norte and is today called Laoag. It has a civilised population of 34,454. See U.S. Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands, and Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[120] It does not exist now. Its demolition was ordered by the general government, after Manila was evacuated by the English, who used it as a fort, as they likewise did the convent of the Recollects, in the siege of Manila in 1763.—Coco.

[121] Ermita has a present population of 12,246. It is the seat of the observatory of Manila, and of the normal school. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra; and U.S. Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands, p. 189.

[122] Now [1893] this is in charge of the Recollects.—Coco.

[123] Spanish, ni hay padre para hijo, ni hijo para padre—“there is neither father for child, nor child for father.”

[124] Now [1893] there are 1,805 inhabitants; and the village of Pineda, with 8,196 inhabitants, was separated from it. The Virgin de los Remedios [i.e., “of the remedies”] is still highly reverenced.—Coco.