Bridging the Gap
The initial years of the Spaniards in Panay
Due to the Portuguese threat of attacking them in Cebu, where they first established themselves, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, leader of the Spanish expedition in 1565, decided to transfer to Panay sometime in 1569. It must be noted that Portugal claimed ownership over the Philippines due to the Treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragoza signed in 1494 and 1529, respectively. The said treaties divided the world into two spheres of jurisdiction and the Portuguese were convinced that the Philippines was situated on their side of the demarcation line.
Once in Panay (There is a controversy as to whether the Spaniards stayed in Pan-ay, Capiz or Ogtong, Iloilo), Legaspi appointed his grandson, Juan de Salcedo, governor (McCarthy, 1943). At that time it was the custom of the Spaniards when taking possession in the name of the Spanish king of any new land occupied or discovered to round the whole island (Blair and Robertson, 1903-09). Significantly, there was always a writer witness to this, and often it was a missionary. In Panay, it was the Augustinian, Fr. Martin de Rada, who was responsible in making the first attempt to evangelize the natives.
Since the Spanish stay in Panay was only temporary, there were no recorded conversions, but Fr. de Rada was deeply aware and critical of the behavior of the Spanish soldiers towards the natives (Maza, 1987). In a letter to the Viceroy of Mexico, dated in Panay on July 21, 1570, he gave an account of the great misery and destruction that have come to the island because of the robberies and abuses done by the Spaniards to the natives, as well as the arbitrary collection of tributes.
The Spaniards in Panay readily initiated the identification, location, and distribution of settled communities in the island. By January 15, 1571, they already had a complete list of the villages at that time and had started to assign them to the officers as encomiendas (Blair & Robertson, 1903-09). The speed by which this was accomplished was remarkable, considering that Legaspi's expeditionary force was hiding from the Portuguese.
Diego de Artiega Chirino and Miguel de Loarca were fast in recording down information and their observations but much of the credit was due to Father de Rada. He not only accompanied Salcedo in his voyages around the island but as a mathematician and astronomer adept in the use of the compass and the astrolabe, he must have been the one who provided the mathematical calculations which determined the accurate geographical location of many places in the island of Panay (Maza, 1987).
Legaspi had written to Felipe II, king of Spain, stating that in order to effectively populate the land and bring civilization to it, married couples should be sent over with the obligation to stay permanently (Rodriguez, 1965). In 1570, a Spanish fleet of three arrived in Panay under the command of Juan de la Isla, bringing fifty married couples and instructions to Legaspi confirming his appointment as governor-general and captain general of the Philippines (McCarthy, 1943).
Legaspi and his men stayed in Panay for 16 months after he left Cebu and before he went on to the conquest of Manila.