THE LEGAZPI EXPEDITION

 Who is Miguel Lopez de Legazpi?

- Miguel López de Legazpi also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo (The Elder), was a Basque
Spanish navigator and governor who established the first Spanish settlement in the East Indies
when his expedition crossed the Pacific Ocean from the Viceroyalty of New Spain in modern-
day Mexico, arrived in Cebu of the Philippine Islands, 1565.
- He was the first Governor-General of Spanish East Indies which included the Philippines and
other Pacific archipelagos, namely Guam and the Marianas Islands. After obtaining peace with
various indigenous nations and kingdoms, Miguel López de Legazpi made Manila the capital of
the Spanish East Indies in 1571. The capital of the province of Albay in the Philippines, Legazpi
City bears his name.
- In 1564, López de Legazpi was commissioned by, the viceroy, Luis de Velasco, to lead an expedition
Pacific Ocean, to find the Spice Islands where the earlier explorers Ferdinand Magellan and Ruy López
de Villalobos had landed in 1521 and 1543, respectively.

- The expedition was ordered by King Philip I of Spain, after whom the Philippines had earlier been named
by Ruy López de Villalobos. The viceroy died in July 1564, but the Audiencia and López de Legazpi
completed the preparations for the expedition.

- On November 19 or 20, 1564, five ships and 500 soldiers, sailed from the port of Barra de
Navidad, New Spain, in what is now Jalisco state, Mexico
- Members of the expedition included six Augustinian missionaries, in addition to Fr. Andrés de
Urdaneta, who served as navigator and spiritual adviser, Melchor de Legazpi (son of Adelanto
de Legazpi), Felipe de Salcedo (grandson of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi), and Guido de Lavezarez
a survivor of the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan).
- López de Legazpi and his men sailed the Pacific Ocean for 93 days.
- In 1565, they landed in the Mariana Islands, where they briefly anchored and replenished their
supplies. There they fought with Chamorro tribes and burned several huts.

 Arrival in the Philippines

- A chief of Bohol island, named Catuna gave information to Miguel Lopez of Sebu and,
acompanied Lopez as a guide. López de Legazpi's expedition anchored off the Indianized
Rajahnate of Cebu on February 13, 1565, but did not put ashore due to opposition from
natives.
- On February 22, 1565 the expedition reached the island of Samar and made a blood
compact with Datu Urrao.
- The Spaniards then proceeded to Limasawa and were received by Datu Bankaw, then to
Bohol, where they befriended Datu Sikatuna (or Catunao) and Rajah Sigala.
- On March 16, Legazpi made a blood compact with Datu Sikatuna.
- On April 27, 1565, the expedition returned to Cebu and landed there. Rajah Tupas
challenged the Spaniards, but were overpowered by them. The Spaniards established a
colony, naming the settlements "Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús" (City of the Most
Holy Name of Jesus) after an image of Sto. Niño in one of the native houses.
- In 1569, due to scarcity of food provisions in Cebu, Legazpi transferred to Panay where
they were peacefully welcomed by the people in the Kedatuan Madja-as and they
founded a second settlement on the bank of the Panay River.
- n 1570, having heard of the rich resources in Luzon, Legazpi dispatched Martin de Goiti
to explore the northern region. Landing in Batangas with a force of 120 Spaniards and
600 Visayans from Cebu and Panay islands, de Goiti explored the Pansipit River, which
drains Taal Lake.
- On May 8, they arrived in Manila Bay. There, they were welcomed by the natives. Goiti's
soldiers camped there for a few weeks, while forming an alliance with the Muslim
leader, Tariq Suleiman, who was a vassal under the Sultan of Brunei. Legazpi wanted to
use Manila's harbor as a base for trade with China, but Sulayman refused.
- On May 24, 1570, after disputes and hostility had erupted between the two groups, the
Spaniards occupied the Islamized states of
- Tondo and Manila using scores of colonized Cebuanos and mercenary Illongos as the
bulk of the Spanish army, those same Visayans having been at war with those Islamic
states even before the Spaniards arrived.
 - In the same year, more reinforcements arrived in the Philippines, prompting López de
Legazpi to leave Cebu to Panay and then to Luzon.
- He recruited 250 Spanish soldiers and 600 native warriors to explore the regions of
Leyte and Panay. The following year he followed Goiti and Salcedo to Manila, after
hearing the villages had been conquered.
- During the early phase of the exploration of the northern part of the Philippines López
de Legazpi had remained in Cebu, and had not accompanied his men during their
colonization of Manila, because of health problems and advanced age.
- In Manila, López de Legazpi formed a peace pact with the native councils as well as the
local rulers, Tariq Suleiman and Lakan Dula. Both groups agreed to organize a city
council, consisting of two mayors, twelve councilors and a secretary.
- López de Legazpi established a settlement there on June 24, 1571 and he also ordered
the construction of the walled city of Intramuros. He prodaimed the town as the island's
capital, and the seat of the Spanish government in the East Indies.
 Last Years
- López de Legazpi governed the Philippines for a year before dying suddenly in Manila on
August 20, 1572. He died poor and bankrupt, leaving a few pesos behind[quantify], due
to having spent most of his personal fortune during the conquest. He was laid to rest in
San Agustin Church, Intramuros.
- By the time of López de Legazpi's death, the parts of the Visayas had passed to Spanish
rule. The Spanish met strong resistance from Muslim sultanates on the island of
Mindanao, the Zambal tribes of Zambales, and the Igorot of the Cordilleran mountains,
as well as some Wokou pirates from China and Japan.
 Significance of Legazpi’s Expedition
- Legazpi proved that by utilizing the friendly nature of the Filipinos, there is no need for
much arms and battles to pacify the archipelago.
- The archipelagic nature of the Philippines is another one.
- In addition, Filipino's technical know-how in the art of warfare seems to be no match to
Spanish superiority in terms of arms and art of warfare.
- The church through the different religious orders played a very important role in the
period of pacification from 1565 to 1606.