[The following document has been abstracted from a portion of the
original document by Pablo Pastells, S.J., and is given by him in his
edition of Colin’s Labor evangélica (Barcelona, 1904), i, pp. 157,
158, note. In it will be found many of the names of the early
conquistadors, and abundance of proof of the inexact knowledge of the
country obtained by the Spaniards.]
In the testimony given by the notary Fernando Riquel in the city of
Manila, June 2, 1576, and which was taken from the government records,
appears an attested relation of the encomiendas which were distributed
among the original Spanish conquistadors of Filipinas. From this
document especially noteworthy from the viewpoints of history,
geography, and politics, it appears that the islands at the time of
Sande’s arrival, had been divided into encomiendas in the following
manner. In Cebú, Legazpi assigned to his Majesty the port and the
village as far as Canipata (January 16, 1571). In the rest of the
island he apportioned (January 25, 1571) 3,000 Indians to Jerónimo de
Monzón; 2,000 to Cristóbal Sánchez; and 1,000 to Francisco Carreño.
In Panay, he assigned to his Majesty (January 16, 1571) the river and
settlement of Panay from the coast to Catitlán. On October 31, he
apportioned about 4,000 Indians of Sogut (the mouth of the Araut River)
and Malpa, with their tingües (mountains) and hills to the
chief-constable Gabriel de Ribera; about 6,000 Indians on the Araut
River near the coast from the villages of Dayt, Payán, Pinabao, Tongo,
Pandán, Nonoc, Dumangal, Cararao, Balig, Bantao, Mata, Harún, Daripe,
and the villages of the tributary that flows into the Bumey River
between Potocán and Bulney with their tingües and hills, to Captain
Luis de la Haya; to Lope Rodríguez and Diego López de Valdepeñas,
2,000 Indians apiece, in the villages of Cali and Sibucao up the river
(at the entrance of the Araut River) past the village of Daripe and as
far as Sicapurut. On November 2, he assigned 4,000 Indians of the Pua
River between Bago and Marianao, and the branch of Barbarán, with
their tingües and hills, to the soldiers Baltasar Rodríguez and
Alonso Sánchez; 2,000 Indians apiece on the tributary of the Sibalinte
between Amíndan and Banga to the soldiers Francisco de Ribera and
Diego García; the Indians of Maluhud and its creeks to the soldier
Alvaro de Angulo; 2,000 Indians of the bay of Moguín, namely, the
Indians of the creek of Batán, Aguísan, Initantarón, Capulanbaril,
Dinao, Moguin, and Manuc, with their tingües and hills, to the soldier
Gonzalo Riquel; and 2,000 on the tributary of the Mayo to the soldier
Francisco Rey. On November 3, 2,000 Indians on the river of Daclan, and
the villages of Amacatan and Tagaun, with their tingües and hills, to
Antonio Flores; the Indians of the villages of Guimba, Caranga,
Argahao, Marabagui, and Bugau, with their tingües and hills to
Hernando de Monroy; the Indians of the river of Arui, and the natives
of Barugo, Uyungán, Cuyuran, Naorguán, Bangot, Tibao, Lonio,
Cabáyan, Lalac, and Tabangan, with their tingües and hills to Rodrigo
de Vargas; the Indians of Tibaguán and Baguinguín, with their
tingües and hills to Estéban Rodríguez; and the Indians of the river
of Xaro and those of the villages of Calataca, Pasanhan, Cabuga,
Alenguen, Samble and Sunamburi, with their tingües and hills, to
Francisco Durán. On April 5, 1572, the natives of Xaro and the others
whom Francisco Durán had held to Luis Pérez. On April 15, the Indians
of Dulúngan, Antique, Bunital, and Aslúman to Diego Ximénez. On June
1, the Indians of the villages of Otón with its tingües and hills to
Miguel de Loarca. In Cibabao and Paita, on January 25, 1571, Legazpi
assigned the 2,000 first Indians to Bartolomé Cindila; 2,000 to Juan
de Aguera; 2,000 to Diego de Quintanilla; 1,500 to Diego Godínez;
1,500 to Damián González; 1,500 to Antonio Ginovés; and the same
number each to Juan Méndez, Francisco de Torres, Andrea de Luca, de la
Xari, and Juan Pérez; 1,000 on the river of Panae of the said islands
to Augustín Duerto. On above two islands in order to avoid disputes
among February 14, Legazpi united the encomiendas of the the
encomenderos, giving the Indians of Limanca, Vaván, and Samal to
Augustín Duerto and Bartolomé Andrea; those of Paita to Juan Griego;
those of Caguayán to Juan Méndez; those of Buri to Felipe de la Xara;
those of Tunaoyiran to Juan Pérez; those of Paranas to Andrés de
Luca; those of Calviga to Juan Gutiérrez; and those of Bondó to
Miguel Godínez and Antonio Ginovés.
In the island of Mindanao, the chief river Vindanao, the point of
Cauit, the port of Caldera, the village of Zamboanga and all the
villages and coast where cinnamon is grown, were assigned by the
adelantado to his Majesty on January 16, 1571. On January 25, he
assigned to Juan Griego the natives of the villages of Cagayan, Gonpot,
and Tagoloan(?), with their tingües and hills; to Pedro Brizeño de
Oseguera, regidor of the town of Santísimo Nombre de Jesús, the
Indians of Dapitan, Si Cáyap, Siripolo (Dipólog) and Guindáyan
(Ilaya), with their tingües and hills; to Pedro Navarro and Garci
Sierras Chacón, the rivers and villages of Surigao and Parasao, with
their tingües and hills; and to Diego de Porras, the villages of
Layaguán, Lucúlan, and Silamaylegue with their tingües and hills.
The same adelantado assigned, on January 25, 1571, to Luis de Santa
Cruz the first two thousand Indians to be reduced; to Diego López
Povedano, a like number; and the same to Mateo Sánchez, Domingo de
Zuazo, Benito de la Cerda, Francisco Rodríguez, Simón García,
Andrés de Villalobos, and Pedro Isardo; 1,500 to Alonso Osorio,
Martín López, Bartolomé Madrigal, Juan Gutiérrez, Cristóbal
Núñez Pareja, Miguel Galván, Gaspar Ruiz, and Martín de Campos. He
did not assign the above any definite villages, but the tribute was to
be divided pro rata in proportion to the number conceded to each one.
However, in order to avoid disputes, on September 6 of that same year,
Legazpi assigned to Francisco Rodríguez and Luis de Santa Cruz the
rivers of Tanac, Davi, and Monalongon, with their tingües and hills;
to Francisco Téllez, Domingo Zuazo, Benito de la Cerda, Martín
López, Simón García, and Martín de Campos, the river and villages
of Ilo and Majamio, with their tingües; to Andrés de Villalobos,
Diego Lopez Povedano, Mateo Sánchez, and Pedro Isardo, the river and
villages of Inabángan and Adelinte, with their tingües; to Juan
Gutiérrez Cortés, the river of Bago; to Gaspar Ruiz, that of
Tigaguán, and to Cristóbal Nuñez Pareja, that of Caracol. In the
island of Leite, Legazpi assigned, on January 25, 1571, the two
thousand Indians first reduced to Juan Martín; 2,000 to Juan Vexarano,
Lázaro Bruzo, Alonso de Henao, Francisco de Sepúlveda, and Pedro
Sedeño; 1,500 to Juan de Trujillo, Juan Fernández de León, Lorenzo
de Villafaña, Gaspar de los Reyes, and Martín de Aguirre. September
5, 1571, he assigned 2,000 Indians to Francisco de Quirós. On the
sixth, he assigned to the abovesaid the villages and environs of
Maracaya, Omoc, Calbacán, and the rivers of Barugo, Palos, Vito,
Mayay, Vincay, Inunganga, Zuundaya, Cabalían, Minaya, and de los
Mártires [i.e., of the martyrs], and the villages of Súgut,
Canamocán, and Ilongos.
In the island of Luzón, January 16, 1571, he assigned to his Majesty
the settlements of Manila, the port of Cavite, and the seacoast
settlements lying between them. July 28, he conceded to Goiti 8,000
Indians of the lake and river of Bombón; November 14, to Juan
González de Pedraza, the villages of Bondo, Butanguian, Tonacatán,
Marabatau, Purusgu, Manilau, Mahauay, Naos, Camaurón, Tarique,
Macabaras, Bigo, and Nuslan; to Fernando Riquel, the Indians of the
principal branch of the river Macabur, and its creeks; to Andrés de
Ibarra, from the point of the bay of Manila, to the terminus of Bonbon;
to Juan de la Isla, the Indians of Malinao, Banban, Tuxas, Palatnia,
and others of the Pasig River, island and hill, and the villages of
Bayáuan and Pasún; to Captain Juan Maldonado, the Indians of the
river of Morón of the lake of Bai, and eleven villages of the said
lake; to sargento-mayor Juan de Moron, the Indians of the Islet of
Calumpit; to Hernan Lopez, 19 villages of the province of Batán near
the river of Lubao of the bay of Manila; to Marcos de Herrera, 8
villages of the creek of Malolos; to Gaspar Ramírez, 16 villages, 14
of which are on the river of Calamba; to Francisco de León, 12
villages of the river of Lunbán, belonging to the lake; to Francisco
de Herrera, 4 other villages of the lake; to Martín Gutiérrez, 5
villages of the same; to Alonso Ligero, 5 villages; to Pedro de
Herrera, the Indians of the river of Sinoluán and 6 villages of the
lake; to Antonio Alvarez, 12 villages of the river of Manila; to Lope
García de Herrera, 4 [villages] of the lake. April 15, he assigned to
Jerónimo Tirado, 6 villages on the creek of Atlae; to Juan Mateo
Obregón, 15 [villages] of the lake; to Francisco Bañol, 3 [villages]
of the same lake; to Benito Díaz, 7 [villages] of the creek of
Olimare, toward Pampanga; to Amador de Carrurán, 15 villages. May 16,
1572, the adelantado assigned to his Majesty the village of Castilla,
[63] (so that no other but his Majesty might be lord of the village
that bears such a name), and the villages of Cabacite and Cabuyal, and
likewise those of Ubán, and Bilílan, of the bay of Ibalón. May 17,
he assigned to Cristóbal Sánchez, 13 villages of the bay of Ibalón;
and to Juan Lopez, 15 [villages] of the same bay. May 23, to Pedro de
Arnedo, 1 village of the bay, and 7 on the coast opposite the entrance
to Ibalón, called Busáygan. In the islands of Mindoro, Lubán, and
Elín, on January 16, Legazpi assigned to his Majesty the port and
village of Vindoro. April 15, 1572, he assigned to Felipe Salcedo the
rest of the island of Vindoro, and those of Lubán and Elín. April 10,
1571, the island of Imarás, to Juan Ramos; February 12, to Andrés
López Povedano and to Andrés de Villalobos, the islands of Masbat,
Capul, and Maçagua; April 11, 1571, the island of Maripipi to Agustín
Duerto; January 25, 1571, the island of Camiguinin to Pedro de
Figueroa; November 2, those of Tablas and Çubuyan, and the creeks of
Mahalúd, of the island of Panae, to Alvaro de Angulo; June 28, 1571,
the islands of Bohol and Bantayán to Rodrigo de Frías; October 31, of
the same year, the islands of Malinduque and Bantón to Pedro de Mena;
April 24, that of Donblón to Gonzalo Riquel; September 12, 1572, that
of Cagallanes or Negros to Benito de la Cerda, Domingo de Zuazo,
Francisco Téllez, Martín López, Simón García, and Martín de
Campos. For brevity we omit the encomiendas assigned by Lavezaris and
Doctor Sande, which are also named in this document. This document
shows 143 encomenderos whose names are expressed in it.