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, 1 58, 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 Cebu, 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 Rodriguez and
Diego Lopez 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 Rodriguez and Alonso Sánchez; 2,000 Indians apiece on the tributary of the
Sibalinte between Amindan and Banga to the soldiers Francisco de Ribera and Diego Garcia; the Indians of
Maluhud and its creeks to the soldier Alvaro de Angulo; 2,000 Indians of the bay of Moguin, 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,
Uyungin, Cuyuran, Naorguán, Bangot, Tibao, Lonio, Cabáyan, Lalac, and Tabangan, with their tingüues and
hills to Rodrigo de Vargas; the Indians of Tibaguán and Baguinguin, with their tingües hills to Estéban
Rodriguez; 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; I,SCX) to
Diego Godinez; 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 Augustin Duerto. On above two islands in order to avoid disputes among February 14, Legazpi
united the encomiendas of the encomenderos, giving the Indians of Limanca, Vaván, and Samal to Augustin
Duerto and Bartolomé Andrea ; those of Paita to Juan Griego; those of Caguayin 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 Godinez 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, 1S71. 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 Brizeno de Oseguera, regidor of the
town of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, the Indians of Dapitan, Si Cáyap, Siripolo (Dipolog) and Guindåyan (Ilaya)
, with their tingües and hills; to Pedro Navarro and Garci Sierras Chacon, the riven and villages Of Surigao and
Parasao, with their tingües and hills; and to Diego de Porras, the villages of Layaguán, Lucálan, and
Silamaylegue with their tingües and hills. The same adelantado assigned, on January 25, 1S71, to Luis de
Santa Cruz the first two thousand Indians to be reduced; to Diego Lopez Povedano, a like number; and the
tame to Mateo Sánchez, Domingo de Zuazo, Benito de la Cerda, Francisco Rodriguez, Simon Garcia, André
de Villalobos, and Pedro Isardo; 1,500 to Alonso Osorio, Martin Lopez, Bartolomé Madrigal, Juan Gutiérrez,
Cristobal Nuñez Pareja, Miguel Galván, Caspar Ruiz, and Martin 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
Rodriguez and Luis de Santa Cruz the rivers of Tanac, Davi, arid Monalongon, with their tingües and hills; to
Francisco Téllez, Domingo Zuazo, Benito de la Cerda, Martin López, Simón Garcia, and Martin de Campos,
the river and villages of Ilo and Majamio, with their tingües; to Andrés de Villalobos, Diego Lopez Povedano,
Mateo Sånchez, and Pedro Isardo, the river and villages of Inabángan and Adelinte, with their tingues; to Juan
Gutiérrez Cortés, the river of Bago; to Gaspar Ruiz, that Of Tigaguán, and to Cristóbal Nunez Pareja, that of
Caracol. In the island of Leite, Legazpi assigned, on January 25, 1571, the two thousand Indians first reduced
to Juan Martin; 2,000 to Juan Vexarano, Lázaro Bruzo, Alonso de Henao, Francisco de Sepúlveda, and Pedro
Sedeño; 1,500 to Juan de Trurujillo, Juan Fernández de Le6n, Lorenzo de Villafaña, Gaspar de los Reyes, and
Martin de Aguirre. September 5, 1 571, 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, Cabalian, 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 Bombön; November 14, to Juan González de Pedraza, the villages of Rondo, Butangpian,
Tonacatán, Marabatau, Purusgu, Manilau, Maahauay, 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 Moron 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 Ramirez, 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 Martin 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 Garcia 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 Diaz, 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,(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 Elin, 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 Elin. 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 Magagua; April 11, 1571, the island of Maiipipi to Agustin Duerto; January 25,
1571, the island of Camiguinin to Pedro de Figueroa; November 2, those of Tablas and Cubuyan, and the
creeks of Mahalúd, of the island of Panae, to Alvaro de Angulo; June 28, r 571, the islands of Bohol and
Bantayán to Rodrigo de Frias; 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, Martin López, Simón Garcia, and Martin 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.

Source:

Hernando Riquel. “Encomiendas Assigned by Legazpi” in Blair, Emma and Robertson, James, Eds. The
Philippine Islands 55-Volumes, Cleveland, Ohio: The A. H. Clark Company, 1903-1909, Vol. 34: 304 – 310.