Encomiendas in Leyte

LEYTE had its first experience of the encomienda system on January 25, 1571 when Legazpi assigned the 2,000 Indians first reduced to Juan Martin; 2,000 to Juan Vexarano, Lazaro Bruzo, Alonso de Henao, Francisco de Sepulveda, and Pedro Sedeño; 1,500 to Juan de Trujillo, Juan Fernandez de Leon, Lorenzo de Villasaña, Gaspar de los Reyes, and Martin de Aguirre. About seven months later, on September 5, 1571, he added one more encomendero to the list when he assigned 2,000 Indians to Francisco de Quiros. Then the next day, he assigned to the above mentioned villages and environs of Maracaya, Omoc (Ormoc), Calbacan (Cabalian), and the rivers of Barugo, Palos (Palo), Vito, Mayay, Vincay, Inunanga (Hinunangan), Zuundaya, Cabalian, Minaya and de los Martires, and the villages of Sugut (Sogod), Canamocan (Inopacan), and Ilongos (Hilongos).[i]

The list would however change years later during the period 1591-93 when the assignment of villages and tributaries became clearer. Thus Leyte-Leyte had Don Pedro de Oseguera collecting  606 tributes from a population of 1,504 natives. Dulag had Francisco Rodriguez de Avila getting 482 tributarios, from 1,928 persons. Pedro Sedeño collected tributes along the river of Tambolo from 563 tributarios, representing 2,252 persons. Carigara had Juan de Truxillo having 434 tributarios, representing 1,736 persons. Barugo had Alonso de Henao getting 414 tributes from a population of 1,656.[ii]

Abuyog had Gaspar de los Reyes collecting 304 tributes from the river of Abuyo and to the town of Ybabao Samar), representing 1,216 persons. Palo had  Pedro Hernandez collecting 490 tributes from 2,000 persons. Dulag had another encomendero in the person of  Domingo de Saucedo collecting the 613 tributes, representing 2,442 persons. Another part of Abuyog named ‘Abuyo Ebito’ had Gaspar de Ysla getting 435 tributes from 1,740 persons and those of Zebu. In the southern pacific part of the island, in the village of Hinundanga (Hinunangan), Francisco de Abito collected 400 tributes from 1,000 persons. In Tilan, Francisco de Sepulveda collected 140 tributes. [iii]

These encomiendas were everywhere in Luzon and the Visayas, and they were accordingly very profitable, ‘both by the amount of their tributes and by the nature and value of what is paid as tribute.‘ According to the royal laws and decrees, the encomienda lasted for ‘two lives,’ which may however be extended to a third life. Thus, encomiendas were often inherited or passed on to the son of the original encomendero or to a favorite relative. But after that, it was vacated and assigned to somebody else.[iv]

Colon cleansing laxative

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[i] This was extracted from a portion of the original document by Pablo Pastels, S.J., and is given by him in his edition of Colin’s Labor Evangelica (Barcelona, 1904) pp 157-158). In the testimony given by Fernando Riquel in the city of Manila, June 2, 1576, and which was taken from government record, appears an attested relation of the encomiendas which were distributed among the original conquistadors of Filipinas. [Emma Helen Blair  and James Alexander Robertson,  The Philippine Islands, 1493 – 1803, Volume  XXXIV, p. 304-308]

[ii] “Account of the Encomiendas” (1591-1593), Emma Helen Blair  and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493 – 1803, Volume VII, pp. 127 – 128,

[iii] Ibid, p. 129

[iv] ‘The rapidity with which many of these encomenderos amassed great wealth in a few years is known, and that they left colossal fortunes at their death. Some were not satisfied with the tributes and with what they demanded, but made false measures and balances that weighed twice as much as was indicated. They often exacted the tributes in certain products only, and appraised the same at what value they wished.’ [Annotation by Rizal, Morga’s Sucesos, Blair and Robertson,  Volume XVI, p 158]

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