Destruction and death brought by the Conquista and the Spanish-Moro Wars did not entirely

characterize the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Growths and renewals were also major features
of these centuries. While many places suffered destruction and decline, many other places rose out of
the ashes of these ruined places. Undoubtedly, the Spanish Conquista brought destruction to many
villages whose inhabitants resisted the Spanish pacification campaigns. However, Spanish resettlement
policies also brought the rise and growth of new villages on places ruined by such campaigns. The same
thing could be said about the Spanish-Moro Wars. Moro retaliatory attacks brought devastation to many
coastal towns allied with the Spaniards. Many other towns were abandoned by their inhabitants due to
their fear of the Moros. One would ask where the inhabitants of these destroyed and abandoned towns
went since it was impossible for the Moros to capture them all. Interestingly, colonial reports mentioned
many families inhabiting the hinterlands of many places in Luzon and the Visayas. Their existence
showed that those inhabitants who escaped capture by the Moros or who abandoned their coastal
villages moved elsewhere. Deprived by colonial prohibitions to arm themselves, due to Spanish fear of
native rebellions, the coastal inhabitants were defenseless before the Moro onslaughts. Thus, their
primary r self-defense was to seek the sanctuary of the hinterlands.
means of areas less threatened by Moro attacks were noted to show significant town development.
Notwithstanding heavy colonial impositions that physically exhausted the inhabitants, the
abovementioned centuries also experienced population growth and town-formations which continued in
central and northern Luzon. They were encouraged by colonial incentives and by native responses to
such incentives, especially tribute exemptions for inhabitants of newly established towns.

Conversion of the natives proved vital to the conquest of the islands. The colonial authorities gathered
the converted inhabitants to places within hearing distance of the bells (bajo las campanas) to facilitate
their supervision and adaptation to a civilized life and to serve His Majesty (para la Vida civilizada y en
servicio de Su Magestad). In turn, the Christianized inhabitants served to further the proselytizing
activities of the friar-missionaries and the conversion of many other non-Christian inhabitants.

Population growth, distance from the mother town, initiatives by the native principales and colonial
officials in establishing new towns are other factors that also contributed to the processes of town-
formation; growth and renewals showed the unending cycle of life and death even amidst the most
trying years of the abovementioned period.
Under the Bells

To Christianize, make the natives lead a civilized life, and have them work in His Majesty's service were
explicit directives in all royal instructions issued to the civil and religious officials in the Philippines. A
greater number of native inhabitants, however, refused to submit to Spanish conquest and conversion.
The Spaniards, in turn, derisively called them vagamundos, simarrones, infideles, tinguianes,
montarasas, remontados, etc. All these terms meant "inhabitants of the interior." Their existence and
the proselytizing enthusiasm of the friars led the latter to influence the colonial government to create
policies designed to convert these interior inhabitants. In time, exemptions from tributes and other
colonial exactions were granted to these converted natives such as 5, 10 or 15 years of exemptions. The
long years of exemptions from colonial exactions worked, in no small measure, to attract a substantial
number of the abovementioned interior inhabitants. Where unconverted natives proved recalcitrant,
force in the form of military campaigns (entradas) were used to chastise or compel them to accept
conversion.
The Spaniards used friendly native chiefs to influence other natives to accept Spanish rule. To advance
the processes of converting native inhabitants, Christianized natives from lowland villages were
encouraged to establish settlements or villages near the villages of unconverted natives and exemptions
from colonial exactions were also granted. In turn, the friar-missionaries used them as their bases for
their evangelical activities in non-Christian areas. The founding of Malasiqui, Pangasinan could be cited
as an example. On 28 July 1677, Don Diego Catungal, native principal and cabeza de barangay of
Calasiao, Pangasinan petitioned the governor-general for permission to clear and settle the then-
forested sitio Malasiqui. He promised to gather vagamundos and simarrones residing in its vicinity and
resettle them in the said sitio. To entice them to come, he requested that all those who would reside in
the said sitio should be exempted from paying tributes for six years. The governor-general approved his
petition on 24 January 1678. About a hundred years later, inhabitants of Malasiqui petitioned the
governor-general that they be permitted to establish a town at sitio Pandoyocan, some five leagues
distant from Malasiqui. They claimed that 300 families were already residing in the said sitio because of
its fertile lands and the presence of gold mines (labaderos de oros). More and more families, the
petitioners added, were coming to reside in said sitio. This growth, they claimed, would redound to the
benefit of the colonial interests in terms of increased numbers of tributary families. Its establishement as
a town was also cited that would attract the non- Christians inhabiting nearby areas to settle and could
lead to their conversion. On 22 October 1759, the governor-general approved the establishment of
Pandoyocan as a new town of Pangasinan Province.2 On 27 August 1760, the governor-general granted
the inhabitants of Pandoyocan three years exemptions from tributes and personal services to enable
them to build the town's church and convent to meet their spiritual needs. Pandoyocan later became the
town of Villasis.

Another principal of Pangasinan, Don Gabriel Caamo, founded the town of Panique during the early
years of the eighteenth century. His son, Don Domingo Macaraeg and Doña Juana de Vera, daughter- in-
law, fostered the growth of Panique by establishing a cattle farm in sitio Loob. On 25 October 1768, the
governor-general approved Doña Juana de Vera's request for an estancia de ganado. It had more than a
thousand heads of cattle which helped supply the colonial troops during the Silang rebellion in 1763.

In the early years of Spanish rule, the colonial authorities designated sitio San Jose del Monte, Bulacan
Province as a quarry site where square-hewned stones were made for the colonial edifices in Manila. By
the mid-seventeenth century, the colonial government transferred the quarrying activities to sitios
Angat, Casai, Sta. Lucia, and Tabuquillo. In due time, several Christian Chinese, mestizos de Sangleyes,
and bagamundos came or were assigned to work in the quarry. The distances of these sitios from San
Jose del Monte prevented these workers and their families from performing their religious obligations.
Moreover, the need to convert the bagamundos and mestizos de Sangleyes influenced Fr. Diego de
Alday, friar-missionary who had jurisdiction over the sitios, to petition the colonial government to build a
church in the area to respond to the workers' religious needs. On 2 August 1683, the governor-general
not only approved his petition but also ordered the election of gobernadorcillo and other local officials
to administer the secular affairs of the new town created out of the said sitios. Angat was selected as the
center of this new town. Thus, the town of Angat, Bulacan was created."

Personally leading many entradas, Don Francisco Samudio, native principal of Nueva Caceres, Camarines
Province, captured many families of simarrones and negritos in the hinterlands of Camarines Province.
He brought them to Nueva Caceres where they were eventually converted to the Christian faith. In one
such entrada, Don Francisco Samudio brought back thirty families of simarrones. On 8 April 1682, he
petitioned the governor-general that these families be awarded to him as reward to his many services to
his Majesty. He further requested that he and the said families be allowed to clear and settle the
forested sitio of Tinalmot, near the coast of Pasacao. The Bishop of Nueva Caceres endorsed his petition,
saying about him:

... a man of virtues and valor. He was the terror of the negritos and other simarrones inhabiting
the mountains of Camarines where, annually and with great results, he launched many entradas
and brought back twenty or thirty of the said simarrones. Their capture led to their conversion
that increased the royal tributes.
The governor-general approved Don Francisco Samudio's petition. Informed about his deeds, the ruler of
Spain confirmed the award with the comment that said award should enhance Don Francisco's zeal to
reduce and conserve many other simarrones as this served the royal interests.
On 11 July 1685, Fr. Lorenzo de las Llagas, procurador general of the Franciscans, submitted a memorial
to the governor-general regarding the progress of his order's evangelical activities in Camarines Province.
He mentioned that Fr. Francisco de la Asuncion, friar- missionary assigned in the area, had gathered and
converted many families of simarrones in a place called Himoragat. The Franciscan Procurador General
petitioned the governor-general that the said newly- converted simarrones families be exempted for ten
years from the tributes and personal services. He said that this privilege shall foster the growth of
Himoragat and would spread the Gospel among the simarrones inhabiting the nearby areas. The
governor-general approved the petition on 30 April 1686.

Several inhabitants led by Don Andres de Mesa, Don Domingo Carlos, and Don Andres Pascual
established the town of Binahaan, Tayabas Province. On 16 May 1685, they petitioned the governor-
general for exemptions from tributes and personal services for ten years to enable them to build a
church for their new town. The governor- general's approval of their petition noted that this would help
in the reduction and evangelization of the many inhabitants residing in the interior of Tayabas.
In September 1692, the alcalde mayor of Camarines, Don Diego de Arriola petitioned the governor-
general for permission to establish Ynagyanan, a settlement at the foot of Lagonoy mountain. As a visita,
it would help in the reduction of the many simarrones inhabiting its neighboring areas through the
converted ones who would settle in said visita. The governor-general immediately approved his request.
Elsewhere, the process of town-formation through the reduction and conversion of the inhabitants of
the hinterlands continued. The petition of the inhabitants who congregated and settled at sitio Babayan,
in Partido de Iba (Zambales) to make said sitio a visita of Paynaven was approved. In 1736, they again
petitioned that a permanent religious minister be assigned in their town as this would help in the
Christianization of the infieles inhabiting the nearby areas. It would also enable the inhabitants of
Babayan to fulfill their religious obligations which they were unable to do due to the great distance of
their town from Paynaven. A Junta General de Hacienda was held on 16 May 1736 and was attended by
the high officials in Manila readily approved the petition.

Through the zealous efforts of the Jesuit missionaries of Antipolo, Tondo province, in the nearby sitios of
Paynaan, San Ysidro, Sta. Ynes, and Bosoboso, a mission was established in the latter sitio in 1741. Some
41 newly-converted families were resettled at Bosoboso. To further the reduction and conversion of the
many simarrones in the area, the governor-general approved the establishment of Bosoboso as a new
town and ordered the assignment of a Jesuit missionary therein. The order noted that this would sustain
the efforts to convert the many other families of simarrones and infieles inhabiting the nearby areas of
Bosoboso (emplee continuamente en recoger infieles de los montes y valles circunvecinos.)

Early in 1741, the father provincial of the Dominicans petitioned the governor-general to allow the
inhabitants residing in sitio Tolong, located between Malasiqui and Mangaldan, to build their own church
and convent as this would help in attracting non-Christians and

Christian inhabitants to settle therein. The said father provincial further proposed that the Church and
convent be erected at sitio Bunlalacao, adjacent to sitio Tolong, as Bunlalacao was thickly settled by
inhabitants from the towns of Calasiao, Salasa, Mangaldan, and Malasiqui. The governor-general
approved the petition. On 18 April 1741, D. Antonio Montemayor, governor of Malasiqui; D. Dionisio
Mexia, governor of Mangaldan; D. Domingo de la Mesa, governor of Calasiao; D. Diego de Castro,
principal of Salasa; D. Bernardo de Vera, maestre de campo general de los naturales de Pangasinan and
principal of Binalatongan, native officials from the abovementioned towns executed a testimony that
they approved the settlement of inhabitants from their towns to the new town of Tolong. Thus, Sta.
Barbara de Tolong was created,

The friar-missionaries' proselytizing activities in the frontier areas of the Ilocos led to the establishment
of Santiago as a new town of Ilocos Province in 1753. In November 1753, the inhabitants of Santiago
petitioned that they be permitted to have their own set of local officials to attend to their secular needs.
The governor-general's 6 February 1754 decree approved their petition. It also declared the town of
Santiago as a mission to serve as a base for the friar-missionaries' proselytizing activities in Ilocos and
Cagayan.13 Four years later, the friar- missionaries established Mision de San Agustin in Ilocos Province.
Some 85 newly-converted Tinguianes families began to reside in this Mision de San Agustin. On 10
February 1760, the governor-general approved the formal establishment of Mision de San Agustin as this
would encourage many other non-Christians in the area to settle and be converted to the Christian faith.

In 1755, Fr. Manuel Carillo, provincial de augustinos calsados, petitioned the governor-general to
reestablish the Misiones de Agoo y Aringay as this would enhance the efforts to gather the many
Igorrote families inhabiting the nearby mountains of Tonglo and Tayug, Pangasinan Province. To support
this petition, Father Carillo mentioned that members of his order had established Tagudin as a visita of
Bangar town and was now inhabited by "79 Igorrotes cristianos y 33 catecumenos." He also mentioned
that Candon, another visita, had "35 Cristianos y 39 Catecumenos," "12 Cristianos y 30
Catecumenos" populated visita de Namacpacan, "12 Cristianos y 9 Catecumenos" Bauan. The governor-
general approved Father Carillo's petition on 11 settled visita de Agoo and "3 Cristianos y 5
Catecumenos" populated December 1756. He also ordered the re-establishment of the abovementioned
misiones to further the conversion of the Igorrotes in the mountains of Tonglo and Tayug.

On 30 January 1756, the alcalde mayor of Camarines Province reported to the governor-general that he
approved the petition of the inhabitants of Mision de Ragay to have their set of local officials. Ragay was
founded as a new town, the alcalde mayor reported, in order to foster the growth of settlements in the
area. He said that this would help in the reduction of the many simarrones and bagamundos inhabiting
the area (para poder consequir la reduccion de las Visitas... y los malebolos que andan en los
imediaciones). The governor-general confirmed the alcalde mayor's action on 24 February 1756.16
Sometime in 1743, the colonial authorities began to develop the port of Sual, Pangasinan. As it grew as a
center of trade and travel, inhabitants from several places gradually settled near said port. One of the
nearby settlements that grew around the port was sitio Toboan. At the instance of the Provincial del Sto.
Rosario del Orden de Predicadores, the governor-general approved the establishment of Toboan as a
"pueblo de doctrina" to meet the spiritual needs of its residents and to attract the many non-Christians
inhabiting the nearby sitios. On 26 November 1754, the governor-general approved the assigning of a
religious minister for Toboan. By then its population had risen to 2471⁄2 tributos de Naturales and 35 de
Mestisos de Sangley. A royal order dated 3 May 1757 confirmed the establishment of Toboan but
renamed the town as San Ysidro de Labrador. Thus, the early beginnings of the town of Labrador,
Pangasinan.

On 13 December 1760, the governor-general approved the petition of the inhabitants of Telvan to have
their own padre ministro because the religious minister of Bayambang, Pangasinan, who had jurisdiction
over them had difficulties in serving their spiritual needs. The petitioners claimed that the permanent
assignment of a religious minister in their town would encourage the conversion of the families of
bagamundos and infieles inhabiting the areas adjacent to the town of Telvan.
Sometime in February 1760, the inhabitants residing in sitio Balincaguin petitioned the governor-general
to make their village a new town with its religious minister. They cited the distance from their matrix
town of Casborran and the difficulties it brought to them, especially the neglect of their spiritual needs.
The alcalde mayor of Zambales endorsed their petition on 8 February 1760 stating that the sitio had only
60 tributary families but its neighboring areas were inhabited by many families of bagamundos,
simarrones, etc. On 9 October 1760, the governor-general approved the establishment of Balincaguin as
a new town of Zambales Province with its own set of local officials and religious minister.