Francheska Louisse L.

Bugsangit
Histo 11-L

In using the 54th volume, I stumbled upon the word “Bacarra.” This word is found 17
times across 7 volumes. This word intrigued me the most because it sounds like a fancy and
posh surname. Out of curiosity, I searched the word Bacarra in Google before diving into
Blair and Robertson’s books. To my surprise, I found out that Bacarra is a third-class
municipality found in Ilocos Region with a population of 32,2151. Upon reading this
knowledge, I was ecstatic to read how this word is used all throughout the volumes.

The first option is found in volume 8 page 108. It is part of the list to the Account of
the Ecomiendas in the Philippine Islands. This is part of the documents written in the year
1591. It is an unsigned document prepared by the order of the then governor Dasmariñas.
Ecomienda is a way of system wherein the Spaniard settlers have the right to force labour
from tribes2. From this the places were divided to regions and the places within that region
are listed with their assigned captains and other details. Bacarra, is found under the region of
Ilocos that states that Captain Castillo and Andres de Hermossa collected one thousand
tributes which totals to four thousand people. It was also stated that there were 2 Augustinian
priests and ended with “the people have justice.” The writer lists statistics about the
encomiendas in the Philippines and describes the number of religious people spread across
the districts; however the author ends with a commentary saying that these religious people
should be increased. Based on this it is visible that there was slavery going on around the
Philippines and that the religious officials like priests nd friars are powerful and dominant in
every district. In this scenario, the village of Bacarra showed its status at that moment3.
Jumping to the year 1612, volume 17 page 197 talks about the population of Bacarra. It is part
of the documents that showcases the status of the missions in the Philippines. It is in
accordance with the other of St. Augustine wherein it lists the ministries and convents all
around the Philippine Islands and the necessary misters for them. In this letter it was
categorised under provinces and the places within them. Bacarra is under the province of
Ylocos (Yes, to my surprise it is spelled with Y.) Bacarra is listed last under this category
which states that the convent of Bacarra and its visitas have 2 ministers ministering to 800
people. It is also seen that they measured the confession by tripling the population making it
2,400 confessions4. The pattern is seen throughout the list that they equate the number of
confessions by multiplying the population by three. Found in Volume 51 page 199, Bacarra is
used again. Interestingly, it is found with the letter entitled “ Reforms Needed in Filipinas' '
written by Manuel Bernaldez Pizzaro whose opinion was deemed important due to his high
ranking position for 17 years. In the preface of this volume, he was described as a keen
observer and upright statesman but can be swayed by convictions. It is found that in this letter

1
“Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index,” CMCI, accessed September 10, 2022,
https://cmci.dti.gov.ph/lgu-profile.php?lgu=Bacarra.
2
Mark Cartwright, “Encomienda,” World History Encyclopedia (https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, September 9, 2022),
https://www.worldhistory.org/Encomienda/.
3
Emma H. Blair and James A. Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, vol. 8(Ohio, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark
Company), 108.
4
Emma H. Blair and James A. Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, vol. 17 (Ohio, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark
Company), 197.
he subtitled a section “On the large Indian Villagers” where he proceeded to describe that
these places cannot be properly governed by the local authorities due to their population and
has caused some disturbances that placed the islands in a difficult position. He included the
village of Bacarra in his enumeration stating that it has 13,604 souls. He suggested, by the
end of this letter, that no town should consist of 5,000 souls or 1,000 houses (with the
exception of the capital provinces) and that new villages will be formed to divide large towns.
It was also recommended to have a stricter police control of the people5. Even back then the
village of Bacarra had a great population. The village of Bacarra is used again in volume 38
founded in pages 205, 209, and 211. It is part of the accounts by various authors about the
insurrections by Filipinos in the seventeenth century. It is described that the army of
Francisco de Esteybar retreated and lost against the Zambals. He was planning to return to
Manila when they heard that a new uprising had started in the village of Bacarra. He ordered
an army to go over the village. However, there was already a detachment of a thousand men
by Lorenzo Arqueros who arrived first before the general. General de Esteybar had nothing
left to do so he ordered his men to build a fort in Bacarra and ordered soldiers to garrison it.
The persecutions started to those who rebelled. Some were hanged, tortured or shot. These
torturers showed fear to the residents of Pampanga and the Indians in Bacarra6. While they
desired for their freedom, the villages and neighbouring provinces were unable to attain this
goal.

Who would have thought that a village in Ilocos would be the place that I will travel to
in doing this task. Upon reading through the volumes in the hunt for this word, I noticed that
the residents here were called Indians. I believed this was stemmed from the word Indios
which is what was usually called to the native and indigenous Filipinos by the Spaniards7. The
history of Bacarra is rich with stories. Although, I believe that Blair and Robertson’s books
can be inaccurate and incomplete since it just compiles letters and documents then adds
conclusions that can have biases, it can still be viable and valuable as we take a peek in the
past. I consider this 55-volume book a primary source since it talks about life in the past and
the events that are historical yet not taught in our history books. In coursing through 3
documents that follow through the village of Bacarra, it is significantly noted that the
religious officials run the place. Even if there were only less than five priests, they still hold
an influential power alongside the government officials. It makes me wonder how the ideals
and morals of the church coincide with the doings of the government? How did their rule
deeply influence the village of Bacarra? It may be biased but despite how the letters portrayed
as the village having justice being served through the encomiendas system, how they were
labeled as Indians, or even how they maintained quietness by striking fear and torture whe
they started an uprise I could not help but feel sorry for this village. It is relevant to know
these events, even if its not a nationwide matter, because it allows us to see their lives in the
smallest detail which will give us a greater sense of appreciation to who and where we are
today.

5
Emma H. Blair and James A. Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, vol. 51(Ohio, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark
Company), 199.
6
Emma H. Blair and James A. Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, vol. 38(Ohio, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark
Company), 205-209, 211.
7
Chelsea San Nicolas, “Indios,” Guampedia, accessed September 10, 2022, https://www.guampedia.com/indios/.
References:
Blair, Emma H. and Robertson, James A. The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, 55 vols. Ohio,
Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Company, 1903-1907.
Cartwright, Mark. “Encomienda.” World History Encyclopedia.
https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, September 9, 2022.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Encomienda/.
“Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index.” CMCI. Accessed September 10, 2022.
https://cmci.dti.gov.ph/lgu-profile.php?lgu=Bacarra.
San Nicolas, Chelsea. “Indios.” Guampedia. Accessed September 10, 2022.
https://www.guampedia.com/indios/.