'Conquest of Panay and Other Islands Essay\r'

'Legaspi’s Cebu liquidation had three important problems. First, there was a shortage of intellectual nourish handst and what the natives were used to extinguish was different from Spanish solid food. Second, misfortune stricken the settle workforcet. On November 1, 1565, a fire of occult origin broke bulge in the settlement. Some twenty Spanish houses and the hovel where masses were celebrated were burned. Third, the Spaniards were displeased with Legaspi’s order that no Spaniard should take anything from the Filipinos without pay for it. This, together with the shortage of food, led to a conspiracy on November 27 beneath the leadership of Pablo Hernandez. The captain of the San Pablo revealed the plot to the master-of-camp, Mateo de Saez. The last mentioned immediately warned Legaspi, who lost no prison term in ar backuping the conspirators. Hernandez was beheadedâ€those were propagation of harsh thaticeâ€but the rest of the conspirators were pardone d.\r\nAnd fourth, Legaspi was also faced with the hostility of the Portuguese who did not enjoy Legaspi’s settling in Cebu. They sent ships to Cebu to spy on Legaspi’s activities. In 1568, and again the following year, a Portuguese captain, Gonzalo de Pereira, barricadod Cebu in order to starve the Spaniards. With the aid of the Cebuanos, however, Legaspi withstood the blockade and succeeded in forcing Pereira to lift the blockade and throw the Philippines.\r\nIn the midst of all these problems, the root reinforcements from Mexico arrived in Cebu on board the galleon San Geronimo on October 15, 1566. This made Legaspi happy, for it brought not only the tidings that Urdaneta had safely arrived in Mexico but much-needed soldiers from Mexico as well.\r\nLater two more than galleons from Mexico arrived in Cebu on August 20, 1567, bringing superfluous reinforcements and supplies. They were commanded by two young grandsons of Legaspi’sâ€Felipe de Salcedo, 20 years old, and Juan de Salcedo, 18.\r\nWith these reinforcements, Legaspi sent out various explorations to the neighboring islands for the purpose of securing more food and establishing friendly relations with the datus of the other islands.\r\nLater Legaspi received the information that food was abundant in one of the islands in the north. In 1569 he directed his men to sail to Panay. There, on the banks of the Panay River, Legaspi founded the second Spanish settlement in the Philippines. As in Cebu, he won the friendship of the Panay inhabitants by his policy of attraction. Many of these inhabitants were converted to Christianity by Augustinian missionaries. After that, Legaspi never encountered the problem of food shortage, for the natives brought the needed provisions to him.\r\nLegaspi was now install to spread the rule of Spain to the other islands in the archipelago. With Cebu and Panay as bases, he ordered his men to explore the other Visayan islands. Captain Luis Enrique z de Guzman explored and conquered Masbate, Burias, and Ticao and claimed these for the Spanish crown. He got as far as the Bicol region, then known as Ibalon.\r\nIn January 1570 Legaspi sent his warlike grandson, Juan de Salcedo, on an expedition farther to the north. With forty Spanish soldiers and some 500 Visayans, Salcedo landed at Ilin Island, just south of Mindoro, and took it for the king of Spain. From Ilin he sailed to other island, Lubang, northwest of Mindoro and close to the mouth of manila paper Bay. There he met stiff shelter from Muslim defenders. Salcedo subdued them and finally captured Mamburao. This brought the Spaniards approximately to the entrance of Manila Bay. Salcedo then returned to Panay to cover up to his grandfather what he had done.\r\n'