Doctor Francisco de Sande and Don Gonzalo Ronquillo

His Majesty appointed Doctor Francisco de as governor and captain-general of the islands when the news of conquest of the Filipinas Islands by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, and of his death, reached Españia.

Sande was a native of Caceres, and alcalde of the Audiencia of Mexico.

He arrived in 1575.

He continued the pacification of the islands especially the province of Camarines through Captain Pedro Chaves.

• Chaves founded a Spanish colony Caceres there.

Sande personally made the expedition to Borneo with a fleet of galleys and frigates.

He captured the principal settlement, where the king had his house.

But after a few days, he abandoned it and returned to Manila because of:

• sickness among the crews
• his inability to support and care for the Spaniards

On the way back, and by his orders, Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa entered the island of Jólo.

• He fought with the natives and their chief, whom he conquered.

From there, he explored the island of Mindanao, reconnoitering its river and chief settlements.

• Along the way, he pacified other towns and natives of Mindanao.

The governor despatched the ship “San Juanillo” to Nueva España, under Captain Juan de Ribera.

• But it was lost at sea and never heard of again.

Doctor Sande:

• remained until Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa came from Españia as the new governor and captain-general.
• then returned to Nueva España to fill the office of auditor of Mexico.

CHAPTER 3

Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa was:

• a native of Arevalo
• the chief alguacil of the Audiencia of Mexico
• residing at court

It was agreed that the conquest be done better and cheaper from Mexico.

This arrangement made him governor of the Filipinas for life.

He was to take 600 married and single men from the kingdoms of Castilla to the Filipinas.

His Majesty granted him certain assistance and facilities for this purpose, together with other favors as a reward for this service.

Don Gonzalo prepared for the voyage, raised his people, and embarked them in the port of San Lucas Barremeda.

• But, as the fleet left the bar, one of his ships was wrecked.

He returned to repair his losses.

He took less than at first, he made his journey to the mainland.

At Panama, he embarked his people in the South Sea, and sailed for the Filipinas.

Don Gonzalo Ronquillo arrived and took over the government in 1580.

• He founded a Spanish town in the island of Panay, in Oton, which he named Arevalo.

During his term, the trade with the Chinese increased.

He built a market-place and Parián for them within the city, where the Chinese could bring and sell their merchandise.

He tried to discover a southwards return passage from the islands to Nueva España by sending his cousin, Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo.

Captain Don Juan did not succeed.

After sailing for some time to near Nueva Guinea, he could go no farther because of many severe storms. So he returned to the Filipinas.

Don Gonzalo sent another ship, under Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Vallesteros to Peru with some merchandise, in order to obtain certain goods from those provinces which he said that the Filipinas needed.

This vessel returned from Peru after the governor’s death.

The governor imposed:

• 2% duty on the merchandise exported to Nueva España
• 3% duty on the goods imported by the Chinese to the Filipinas.

He was censured for having done this without his Majesty’s orders. Yet these duties remained in force, and continued to be imposed thenceforward.

During this same term, his Majesty had succeeded to the kingdoms of Portugal.

He had ordered the governor of Manila to assist the chief captain of the fortress of Tidore, in Maluco, who was Diego de Azambuja.

De Azambuja asked for aid from Manila.

So Don Gonzalo sent a fleet under Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo.

During his administration, the province of Cagayan in Luzon was first pacified [29] by Captain Joan Pablos de Carrion.

Carrion:

• founded a Spanish colony Nueva Segovia.
• drove a Japanese pirate [30] from there

Don Gonzalo sent Captain Gabriel de Ribera with a small fleet of 1 galley and several frigates, to:

• explore Borneo.
• go to the kingdom of Patan on the mainland where pepper is produced.

After reconnoitering Borneo, the fleet returned to Manila because of the advanced season and lack of provisions.

Thence the governor sent him to España to tell his Majesty several matters that he wanted done for the islands. [31]