_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_. [91] 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. [92] 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, [93]
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. [94] 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. [95] 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. [96] 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. [97] 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._ [98] 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. [99]