The First Two Spanish Expeditions to Pangasinan (1571 and 1572)
History stands as a witness to the fact that before the arrival of the Spaniards in the country, the Filipinos did not constitute a single nation or a single state. What existed in the Archipelago were distinct states or political units known as barangays that, maintaining hostilities against each other, lived in continuos strife (1). With that prevailing atmosphere of division and hostility that could have bordered on lawlessness and anarchy, the work of evangelization and conversion which the Spanish Sovereign, Philip II (1527-1598), wanted the missionaries to accomplish could not successfully be achieved; series of pacifications had first to be undertaken among the inhabitants. This explains the fact that in the early years of the Spanish regime, one military expedition after another had to be made by MIGUEL LOPEZ DE LEGAZPI and later by his successors in the different provinces of the Islands which came to be known as the Philippines after Philip II.
Around the middle of the year 1571, the first Spanish expedition to Pangasinan was made by Maestro de Campo, Martin di Goiti. On May 20 of the following year, another expedition was sent to the province, this time, under the command of Legaspi’s valiant grandson, Capitan Juan de Salcedo, who after surveying its shores, placed almost the entire territory under Spanish rule (2).
End Notes
1 Cfr. ALPI, Eufronio M. A History of the Philippines. Manila. 1935. Pp. 90, 91 and 157.
2 Pangasinan at the time embraced a territory which included the northern half of the present province of Zambales, the northern half of Tarlac, the northern half of the Nueva Ecija, the southern half of Nueva Vizcaya and a greater part of La Union. (Cfr. FERNANDEZ, Pablo, OP. Dominicos Donde Nace El Sol, historia de la Provincia del Santisimo Rosario del Filipinas de la Orden de Predicadores. Barcelona. 1958. P. 32).
START OF EVANGELIZATION (1575)
Although the complete pacification of Pangasinan became only an accomplished fact in the later years, the work of evangelization in the province had begun much earlier. Already in 1575, we find a handful of Augustinian missionaries who were laboriously trying to preach the Faith among Pangasinenses. Their early arrival in Pangasinan was occasioned by a Spanish military expedition in hot pursuit against the Chinese corsair, Limahong, who made two attempts to conquer Manila. Failing in his undertaking, Limahong left Manila Bay and retreated northward until his party reached an islet near the mouth of the Agno river (between what is now Salasa and Lingayen) where he established his headquarters and began to rule the province in tyranny. Accompanying the forces of this expedition (1) under Juan Salcedo were some Augustinians, among them, Fr. Martin de Rada and Fr. Pedro Holgado, who took the opportunity to spread the Faith in the province.
1 It is said that Juan Salcedo was accompanied by Captain Pedro de Chaves and Gabriel de Rivera and the expedition consisted of about 250 Spanish troops and 2,250 Filipino natives. (Cfr. GONZALES, Jose Ma. Op. Labor Evangelica Y Civilizadora de los Religiosos Dominicos en Pangasinan. University of Santo Tomas Press. Manila. 1946. P.12).
Taken from MANGALDAN:1600-1898. Rev. Fr. Rafael S. Magno, Jr. Maramba Press. Dagupan City. 11981.
