II. Industries at the Time of Discovery and Conquest
Reading edition
Shipbuilding.
Fishing.
Mining and metal work.
Textile industries.
Miscellaneous industries.
Conclusion.
* * *
Notes in this chapter
Note 1 · “For the above reason there is a large supply of lumber, which is cut and sawed, dragged to the rivers, and brought down, by the natives. ThNote 2 · “Their ships and boats are of many kinds; for on the rivers and creeks inland they use certain very large canoes, each made from one log, anNote 3 · “The Filipinos, like the inhabitants of the Marianas, who are no less skilful and dexterous in navigation, far from progressing, have retrogNote 4 · “The shipyards of the galleons built during Don Juan de Silva’s term were thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, and eighty leguas from the cNote 5 · “Governor Don Diego de Salcedo, considering the many oppressions that were experienced by the provinces near Manila from the continual cuttiNote 6 · “Those who cut these woods and build these ships and galleys are Indian natives of the said islands. They are carpenters, who are called cagNote 7 · “When a fleet was being prepared in Cavite there were generally one thousand four hundred of these carpenters there. Just now there are veryNote 8 · “The shipbuilding carried on in these islands on your Majesty’s account is the total ruin and death of these natives, as all tell me. For, iNote 9 · “Item: That the governor be warned to endeavor to avoid, as far as possible, the injuries inflicted upon the natives in the cutting of wood Note 10 · “The loss of so many ships caused us great sadness of heart. The greatest hardship fell to the Indians, for they cannot live without ships. Note 11 · ”* * * I must remind your Majesty that the islands are at the end of their resources, as far as the Indians in them are concerned; for it isNote 12 · “Item. That it be ordered that the common seamen who serve in the said ships, who are always Indian natives, be all men of that coast, who aNote 13 · “This has been the cause of tumults and insurrections, such as that of Palapag in 1649, and that of the province of Pampanga in 1660; and, iNote 14 · “Those islands have so few natives, that if your Majesty does not expressly order no vessels to be constructed in them, not any of their peoNote 15 · Antonio de Morga, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinos, Chap. 8.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 16, p. 108.Note 16 · Relación de las Islas Filipinas, Miguel de Loarca; Arévalo, June, 1582.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 5, p. 73.Note 17 · Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, Antonio de Morga, Chap. 8.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 16, p. 96.Note 18 · Report of Conditions in the Philippines, Antonio de Morga, Manila, June 8, 1598.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 10, pp. 85–86. “The fishing is done with Note 19 · In some of these islands pearl oysters are found, especially in the Calamianes, where some have been obtained that are large and exceedinglyNote 20 · Description of Filipinas Islands, Bartholome de Letona, 1662.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 36, p. 201. “All these islands are, in many districts, rich Note 21 · Memorial to the Council by Citizens of the Philippine Islands; July 26, 1586.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 6, p. 223. “In this island, there are many gNote 22 · “They are the best and most skilful artificers in jewels and gold that we have seen in this land. Almost all the people of Los Camarines purNote 23 · “About their necks they wear gold necklaces, wrought like spun wax, and with links in our fashion, some larger than others. On their arms thNote 24 · “The people are the most valiant yet found in these regions; they possess much good armour—as iron corselets, greaves, wristlets, gauntlets,Note 25 · (Relación de las Islas Filipinas, Miguel de Loarca; Arévalo, June, 1582.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 5, p. 169.)Note 26 · Antonio de Morga, Sucesos, Chap. 8.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 16, p. 80.Note 27 · “The coconuts furnish a nutritious food when rice is scarce. From the nut-shells they make dishes, and (from the fibrous husk) match-cords fNote 28 · Relación, Miguel de Loarca; June, 1582.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 5, pp. 34–188. Conquest of the Island of Luzon. Manila, April 20, 1572.—Bl. and RbNote 29 · Relation and Description of the Philippine Islands, Francisco de Sande; Manila, June 8, 1577.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 4, p. 98. “Cotton is raised Note 30 · Relation of the Western Islands called Filipinas, Diego de Artieda, 1573.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 3, p. 203. Fray Rada’s Opinion, Guido de LavezarNote 31 · T. H. Pardo de Tavera, Census, 1903, Vol. I, p. 329.Note 32 · Ibid. “The women have needlework as their employment and occupation, and they are very clever at it, and at all kinds of sewing. They weave Note 33 · “Their houses are constructed of wood, and are built of planks and bamboo, raised high from the ground on large logs, and one must enter theNote 34 · “The edifices and houses of the natives of all these Filipinas Islands are built in a uniform manner, as are their settlements; for they alwNote 35 · Especially in La Indolencia de los Filipinos, in “La Solidaridad,” 1890, which develops the idea advanced by Sangcianco y Gozon.Note 36 · ”* * * As already seen, we must reject so often reiterated of late years that the early missionaries found nomadic or half-fixed clans and tNote 37 · Relación de las Islas Filipinas, Pedro Chirino, S. J., Roma 1604.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 12, p. 188.Note 38 · Morga’s Sucesos.—Bl. and Rb., Vol. 16, p. 105.Note 39 · Census of the Philippine Islands, 1903, Vol. I, p. 329.Note 40 · In La Indolencia de los Filipinos, Rizal continues thus: “And if this, which is deduction, does not convince any minds imbued with unfair prNote 41 · I have already said that all of it is thickly populated, and that it has a great abundance of rice, fowls, and swine, as well as great numbeNote 42 · ”* * * Many islands and villages are devastated and almost wiped out, partly by the Spaniards or because of them, and partly by famines of wNote 43 · In La Indolencia, Rizal further says: “It was necessary to subject the people either by cajolery or force; there were fights, there was slauNote 44 · La Indolencia de los Filipinos: “In order to make headway against so many calamities, to secure their sovereignty and take the offensive in Note 45 · “The Indians, upon seeing that wealth excited the rapacity of the encomenderos and soldiers, abandoned the working of the mines, and the relNote 46 · ”* * * Doubtless if we could see the whole character of the Spanish rule in those decades, we should see that the actual condition of the FiNote 47 · One of the most important industries in the Philippines during this period was shipbuilding. We would naturally expect this industry to be dNote 48 · The Spaniards took advantage of the abundance of materials in this country, and engaged in shipbuilding on a large scale. Shipyards were estNote 49 · When the role played by the Filipinos in the history of Spanish achievement in the Philippines comes to be finally written, their share, in Note 50 · It is clear now why it is that the shipbuilding industry caused many revolts.13 An interesting effect of the hardships suffered by the FilipNote 51 · As, next to rice, fish formed an important part of the diet of the Filipinos, we find them engaged in the fishing industry at the time of diNote 52 · Most of the devices used today for catching fish were known then to the ancient Filipinos. “The natives’ method of catching them is by makinNote 53 · Fishing for pearl oysters and other precious products of the sea was also a developed industry at the time of discovery and conquest. These Note 54 · The early accounts abound in glowing descriptions of the mining wealth of this country. “In many (indeed in most) islands are found amber anNote 55 · The early Filipinos did not only know how to work mines, but also knew the art of metal working. From the precious metals they made jewelry Note 56 · Chief among the industries connected with the various kinds of palms found in the Philippines was the distillation of the sap into alcohol, Note 57 · Other uses similar to those of today were made of the different parts of the coconut and other palms.27Note 58 · Weaving was one of the industries well-known to the Filipinos long before the coming of the Spaniards. Contemporary writers all speak of theNote 59 · Besides cotton, the fibers of the abacá or hemp plant was also used for weaving; in fact, the latter must have been used even before the forNote 60 · That the Filipinos first seen by the Spaniards were not wandering savages, as commonly assumed by later day writers, is shown by the manner Note 61 · Among the other industries at the time of discovery and conquest were: the manufacture of gun-powder; hunting for edible birds’ nests, and eNote 62 · To quote Rizal, “All the histories of those first years, in short, abound in long accounts about the industry and agriculture of the nativesNote 63 · Other evidences could be presented to strengthen the conclusion advanced here.41Note 64 · The only question that remains to be answered is that asked by Rizal: “How then, and in what way, was that active and enterprising infidel nNote 65 · What were the causes that led to the decay of these old industries? “First came the wars, the internal disorders which the new change of affNote 66 · Centuries before Spanish discovery the Filipinos were in regular intercourse with the neighboring countries of China, Japan, Borneo, and othNote 67 · “As above stated, it will be necessary for Governor Don Alonso Fajardo to devise immediate means for building galleons and to repair the six