Volume 34 — ENCOMIENDAS ASSIGNED BY LEGAZPI

[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.