There's more to the 17th century Italian traveler's Marinduque mention

 

Giovanni Francesco Careri, Seventeenth century Italian adventurer and traveler

Just going back to Careri’s 1696 (1697 in his book), mention of Marinduque in his journal, (link here) the feature writer in the South China Morning Post took fancy on the episode. 

Thanks to him for the rare feature, lest we might not have known about it at all, but apparently he added some embellishments in interpreting Careri's account. 

In Marinduque, the galleon with Careri aboard, sent a champan to Marinduque for some fresh provisions. But the galleon did get loads of it after all, courtesy of "the Jesuits from that Parish", contrary to what was written that the champan returned to the galleon empty-handed.

How did I find out?

Curious, I decided to look for the original text of the adventurer and traveler Careri’s 'A Voyage Round the World', as there could be more to that. Indeed there's more and the relevant text is reproduced here.

Of course, we’re lucky to have been made aware of such an encounter with Marinduque by a world traveler in those forgotten years. But with the new information from Careri’s original work, new curiosities are in fact raised. 

He specified the location of the galleon in question which was "between the islands of Banton and Point of Marinduque which was on our left".

We find that after 8 days the champan they sent returned from Marinduque "loaded with refreshments given them by the Jesuits of that Parish". 

Now, which Marinduque parish could that be, as there were three towns already established in the island at that time. The Jesuits have indeed taken over the island and they "stayed and founded three towns: Boac, Sta. Cruz and Gasang, with a smaller settlement or visita attached to the last named."

I already have established the location of this mysterious visita of Mahanguin in an earlier blog, this is in southern Marinduque, but by now that name has been completely forgotten (Link). Now we have a record of a direct interaction for fresh provisions between a galleon and a visita in a particular site. It has further implications.

Readings from the past is exciting.

Antique Marinduque map with Mahanguin, P. Vandermaelen

From: A Voyage Round the World, Book III, page 480: 

"Tuesday 15^th, before Day we passed between the islands of Banton and Point of Marinduque, which was on our left. This island abounds in Fruit, and very nourishing Roots; as also in wild Boars, Deer, Buffalos, and other Creature; and therefore we sent the Chiampan thither before us to get fresh Provisions. Near the point of Marinduque is a small Island, like that at Banton, called Botonsillo, or little Button; behind which is another called Simara, inhabited by Civilized Indians, as Banton is…

"… Having coasted along the Island of Ticao all Night, on Saturday 21^st, in the Morning, two Hours after Sunrising, we came to an Anchor in the Port of St. Hyacinthus, opposite to Sursegon. The Alcalde Mayor, or chief Magistrate of Alvay, came Aboard on Sunday 22d, and brought the Captain a Present of 20 Hogs, 500 Hens, and a great deal of Fruit.

"Monday 23d, the Chiampan came from Marinduque loaded with Refreshments given them by the Jesuits of that Parish, for the Fathers John Grigoven, Antony Borgia, and Peter Antony Martinez, who were Aboard us Bound for New Spain; one to stay there, the other to go to Rome for the Affairs of the Mission…"

 

1590, 1595: Mga nakatagpo sa Marinduque ng Kastilang historyador, Padre Pedro Chirino

Makailang ulit din palang nadalaw si Padre Pedro Chirino (1557-1635), sa isla ng Marinduque, ang dakilang historyador na Kastila, isang Jesuitang misyonero.

Pagdating pa lamang sa Pilipinas mula Espanya at Acapulco ay sumadsad noong Hunyo 1590 sa Marinduque ang kanyang sinakyang almiranta. (Galing naman ang barkong ito mula sa Lima, Peru bago nakarating ng Acapulco).

Nakatala sa mga pananaliksik tungkol sa mga nadisgrasyang mga galleon na ang nasabing almiranta ay 'shipwrecked in Marinduque'. Tinagurian pa ng ilan na ito raw ay 'silver galleon' na laman ay hindi birong mga kayamanan. Ito ang galleong San Ildefonso. * (Basahin sa ibaba kung paano ko itong napangalanan)

Halos isang buwan din ang lumipas bago nakabalik sa Maynila sina Padre Chirino at mga kasama niya. Ang kanyang barko ang nagsilbing almiranta ng "Santiago" na mas naunang dumating sa daungan sa Cavite lulan ang bagong Gobernador ng Pilipinas, si Gomez Perez Dasmarinas.

May tala pa rin na makalipas ang panahon na sa pagtatag ni Chirino ng misyon sa Tigbauan sa Iloilo ay dumaan siyang muli sa Marinduque (1595), sa may bahagi ng ngayon ay Torrijos. Ang ruta niya dito mula Maynila ay tumahak ng Taytay, Tanauan, Taal, Batangas, deretsong Calilaya hanggang Marinduque patungong Iloilo. Tingnan ang mapa.

Maaaring hindi na bago sa kanila ang lugar na ito dahil sila nga ay napadpad sa isla limang taon na ang nakalipas.

Habang nasa Marinduque siya at mga kasamahan sa barko ay hindi sila nag-aksaya ng panahon para masiyahan sila sa kakaibang mapaglilibangan sa isla. Isang tala ang nagsabi na nagawa pang manghuli sila ng mga usa rito gamit lamang ang kanilang mga kamay:

“This was the island of Malindig, hispanized into Marinduque, where it may be recalled Chirino stopped on his way to found the mission of Tigbauan, and his ships’s company had a marvelous time catching deer with their bare hands.”

Tungkol sa unang kakaibang karanasan niya sa Marinduque ay naisulat ni Chirino ang kanyang nagisnan sa islang ito. Maaalala na noong unang dumaong siya sa Marinduque mula Acapulco ay naobserbahan rin niya ang pag-uugali at paniniwala ng mga taga rito. 

Aniya: 

“Halimbawa nito ay nuong unang dating ko sa Pilipinas. Sa pulo ng Marinduque ako dumaong nuong Mayo 1590, abot ng 140 kilometro mula sa Manila. Nagsiyasat nuon sa luoban ng pulo ang isang pangkat ng mga sundalong Espanyol, pinamunuan ng isang teniente (ensign). Inabot sila ng gabi sa isang barangay at humingi sila ng tangkilik sa mga tagaruon.

“Sagdag sa pagkain at inumin na ibinigay sa kanila, inalok pa sila ng mga katutubo ng 2 babae na masisiping nila. Agad pinabalik ng teniente ang mga babae sa barangay at hinayag sa mga taga-baranggay na kasalanan sa Dios ang ginawa nila.

“Subalit may ibang Espanyol na, higit na mapusok sa pagkamit ng kanilang mga mithi, ay hindi lamang tumanggap ng mga alok, kundi naghahanap pa talaga ng mga babae na masisiping.”

Mga dapat basahin:

1). *Hindi nagawang pangalanan ang galleon na ito sa lahat ng authoritative books tungkol sa paksang   shpwrecks sa Pacific, hanggang ngayon, tulad ng:  The Manila-Acapulco Galleons, Treasure Ships of the Pacific by Shirley Fish; Shipwrecks of the Philippines, Tom Bennett, at Maritime Disasters in Spanish Philippines: The Manila-Acapulco Galleons, 1565-1815 by Efren B. Isorena ('Almiranta' lamang ang nabanggit dito)

2) The Dasmarinases, Early Governors of Spanish Philippines, by John Newsome Crosslry (Nalimbag noon lamang 2016, dito makikita ang tungkol sa San Ildefonso at kung paano ito nasangkot, naglayag mula Acapulco hanggang mabahura sa Marinduque).

3) Relacion de las Islas Filipinas, 1595-1602, by Pedro Chirino

4) History of the Society of Jesus in the Philippine Islands, Vol. 1 The Philippine Mission (1581-1595)

4) The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, by Blair & Robertson

 

 

Speaker Velasco vows timely transmittal of House-approved budget bill to Senate

 

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has renewed his commitment to ensure the timely enactment of the P5.024-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) as the House of Representatives prepares to transmit to the Senate what he called a “more responsive and balanced national budget” for 2022.

“We are very proud of this budget and what it will do to help our country recover from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe the House delivered a budget that directly responds to the greatest needs of the Filipino people amid this unprecedented global health crisis,” Velasco said.

The Speaker assured that the printed copy of House-approved GAB will be transmitted to the Senate on or before October 27 to give senators ample time to likewise examine the government’s spending plan for next year.

Velasco said the lower chamber’s version of the budget measure includes institutional amendments designed to help boost the government’s COVID-19 response, as well as upgrade the assets of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and fund state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The institutional amendments were vetted and approved by the five-member committee formed by the House to consolidate individual amendments on the proposed 2022 national budget as contained in House Bill 10153.

The panel was composed of Committee on Appropriations Chair Eric Yap, Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Committee on Ways and Means Chair Joey Salceda, Deputy Minority Leader Stella Luz Quimbo, and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman.

Velasco thanked the committee for “painstakingly putting together the amendments introduced by individual members in order to create the highest quality budget.”

In line with its commitment to give higher spending priority to health care, Velasco said the House is providing the Department of Health additional funding of P29.5 billion for procurement of more COVID-19 vaccines, providing medical assistance to indigent patients, and ensuring special risk allowance of public and private health workers.

The House leader said an additional P5.5 billion will be given to the Department of National Defense for the purchase of five brand new C-130J planes for the PAF.

“This will allow the Air Force to effectively fulfill its mandate of protecting the nation’s airspace, and to continue responding to disasters and transporting medical equipment and supplies during this pandemic,” Velasco said.

He said the House also set aside P504 million for the operational requirements of four SUCs in the BARMM that were unfunded in the National Expenditure Program. These are the Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College in Lanao del Sur, Cotabato State University, Sulu State College, and Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College.

“We have decided to restore the budgets of the biggest SUCs in BARMM to avert their possible closure. We are not just trying to save thousands of jobs, we are also making sure that these institutions will continue to educate and mold students into future leaders of Muslim Mindanao,” Velasco pointed out.

Under the House version of the 2022 GAB, an additional P10 billion is allocated to the Department of Labor and Employment for its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD Program.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development will receive a total of P11 billion for the implementation of its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation or AICS Program and Sustainable Livelihood Program.

The Department of Transportation—through the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board—will get an additional P6 billion for its Service Contracting Program, which extends assistance to pandemic-hit transport drivers and operators while at the same time providing free rides to the commuting public.

To fast-track the country’s digital transformation, P3 billion has been allocated for the National Broadband Program of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

"Our intention in passing this budget is two-fold: addressing the pandemic while paving the way towards revitalizing our economy. We made sure that while there is sufficient funding for our health sector in battling the pandemic, there is also enough funding for other agencies to help create jobs, pump prime the economy, and move the country forward," Velasco noted.

The House chief maintained that the overall objective is for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to sign the GAB into law by December to prevent a reenacted budget that could slow economic growth and hamper the delivery of government services.

“It is important to us that the national budget is passed on time to enable the government to implement programs and projects in a timely manner,” Velasco said.

He added: “We will work with our Senate counterparts to ensure that the key programs critical to our economic recovery and to our continuing battle against COVID-19 get priority funding in 2022. Together, we can fight and overcome this pandemic.” - Filipino Social Club

Speaker Velasco seeks reelection as Marinduque Representative

Banking on his proven track record and strong commitment to public service, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco is seeking reelection for another three-year term as representative of the lone district of Marinduque province in Congress.

Velasco said he has more work to do in the House of Representatives where he has been serving two consecutive terms as congressman for over five years now and as Speaker since October 2020.

“I’m really grateful to the people of Marinduque for giving me many chances and I’m asking them for another one so I can continue to champion their interests and welfare in Congress,” Velasco said as he filed Tuesday, October 5, his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the May 2022 polls before the local office of the Commission on Elections in Boac town.

“There’s so much to do for Marinduqueños, and I would very much like to have the honor of representing them again,” he added.

Hailing from Torrijos town, Velasco was first elected Marinduque representative in 2010. He tried to get reelected in 2013 but lost to Regina Ongsiako Reyes, whose COC was later canceled by the Comelec after she was found to be naturalized American citizen.

After almost three years of battling it out at the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and the Supreme Court, Velasco took his oath of office as congressman in February 2016 or three months before that year’s general elections. He ran again for the same post in 2016 and 2019, winning both instances.

Last year, Velasco assumed the speakership in the middle of a raging global pandemic. Undaunted, he was able to lead the “bigger house of Congress” in producing desperately needed legislation aimed at mitigating the impacts of COVID-19.

To pull this off, Velasco prioritized the health and safety of House members and employees in order to keep the legislative mill running so that the chamber could continue to pass critical emergency pandemic response measures.

The House under Velasco’s leadership has put in place strict health and safety protocols, including regular COVID-19 testing and mass vaccination.

This resulted in the passage of urgently needed legislation, foremost of which is Republic Act 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act. Despite initial supply challenges worldwide, Congress nevertheless supported the complete roll-out of the country’s inoculation program through this law, expediting the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and the establishment of a P500-million indemnity fund.

For two years in a row, Velasco oversaw the passage of the national budget that contained programs and projects designed to address the pandemic, making the spending plan the government’s “single most powerful tool” to fight the pandemic.

Even as he became Speaker, Velasco would always keep a close watch on Marinduque, ensuring that his constituents are provided with basic government services and that they benefit from the programs and projects he specifically made for them.

“Becoming Speaker of the House is a wonderful bonus in my career as a public servant, but becoming a worthy representative of Marinduque and being able to look after the welfare of its residents have always been my priority,” Velasco said.

In the past five years, several projects were realized in Marinduque with the help of Velasco. This includes the reopening of the Marinduque Airport, laying of the submarine cable that connects the islands of Polo and Maniwaya to the main province of Marinduque, construction of over 100 kilometers of road, building of almost 200 classrooms, and widening of Balanacan Port Road and Marinduque Circumferential Road.

Velasco spearheaded more than 130 infrastructure projects such as covered courts, evacuation centers, barangay halls, multi-purpose buildings, and flood control initiatives including that for the whole stretch of Boac River.

The Speaker is also regularly providing educational, medical and livelihood assistance to his constituents. So far, almost 26,000 students have availed of his scholarship program, while more than 50,000 Marinduqueños benefited from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program or TUPAD and other programs under the Department of Labor and Employment. - Fiipino Social Club