JUNE 20

1581

Fray Domingo de Salazar, OP, who arrived in Manila on July 1, 1581 together with other Jesuits and who erected the episcopal see of Manila, suffragan to Mexico by virtue of the papal bull of Pope Gregory XIII in 1578 calling for the establishment of the episcopal see and the construction of the Manila Cathedral, informs King Philip II of Spain of the hardships being endured by the natives under the Spanish conquistadores and encomenderos. Because of these abuses, many natives flee from their towns to escape the Spaniards.

Fray Salazar became the first bishop of Manila and the prime defender of the indios against the abuses of the conquistadores and encomenderos.


MANILA CATHEDRAL IN INTRAMUROS, MANILA
Photo By Turnon Warrior on Flickr


1591

Ten years later, Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, who served as the governor general of the Philippines from June 1, 1590 to October 25, 1593, sends a letter to King Philip II of Spain, complaining about the abuses being committed by friars against the native Filipinos.

Governor General Dasmariñas oversaw the completion of Intramuros and the construction of Fort Santiago, which was named after Saint James, slayer of moors, at the mouth of the Manila Bay and at the southern edge of the Pasig River in Manila.


FORT SANTIAGO IN INTRAMUROS, MANILA
By Mell Zamora on Flickr

While their ship was docked at the Sulphur Point in Batangas on October 25, 1593, Governor General Dasmariñas and other Spaniards were killed in their sleep by Chinese pirates sailing in their junks, led by P'an Ho-Wu.

REFERENCE:

Totanes, Henry S. "A Timeline of Philippine History." In Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People. (Vol. 10). Hong Kong: Asia Publishing Company Limited, 1998.