1 Translated from: Fray Felix de Huerta’s “Estado, Topográfico, Estadistíco, Histórico—Religioso, de la Santa y Apostólica Provincia de San Gregorio Magno, de Religiosos Menores Descalzos de la Regular y Mas Estrecha Observancia De Nuestro Padre San Francisco, en las Islas Filipinas”. Binondo: 1865, by Dominador N. Marcaida Jr. (Accessed 21 Sept. 2015 @http://bdh-rd.bne.es). THE GEOGRAPHICAL, TOPOGRAPHIC, STATISTÍCAL, HISTORICO–RELIGIOUS STATUS OF THE HOLY AND APOSTOLIC PROVINCE OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, OF THE RELIGIOUS DESCALCED MINORS OF REGULAR AND NARROWER OBSERVANCE OF OUR LORD FATHER ST. FRANCIS, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. UNDERSTANDS The number of religious, convents, peoples, situation of these, years of its foundation, tributes, persons, productions, industries, things and special cases of its spiritual administration, in the Philippine Archipelago, from its foundation in the years from 1817 to that of 1863. For P. Fray FELiX DE HUERTA, Preacher, Teacher of Sacred Theology, Sinodal Examiner of the Archbishopric of Manila and the Current Minister at San Lazaro. MANDATED TO GIVE LIGHT, ON BEHALF OF THIS HOLY PROVINCE, FOR THE M. R. P. PROVINCIAL MINISTER OF THE SAME ONE. WITH THE NECESSARY LICENSES. Binondo: 1865 Although the children of this holy and Apostolic province of St. Gregory, of Religious barefooted of regular and narrower observance of Our Lord and Father St. Francis in the Philippines, from its arrival to the Islands they have tried much more to work that its facts to publish, there has come one day in which it seems necessary to give to the public brief Geographical, Topographic, Statistical news, Historical - religious, where it is seen easily the evangelizing zeal of its religious missionaries, in the extensive period of two hundred eighty and seven years, the progressive increases and current states of the province. To obtain more completely our files, the sent reports have been consulted with the Reverend Parish Priests, and considering the best documents, the present statistics is formed. WARNINGS. 1. To avoid annoying repetitions be born in mind, that all the towns and missions that are in charge of this Holy and Apostolic province of St. Gregory, are all administered under the rules of the Royal Patronage. 2. The foundation of the towns in which the year is not permanently expressed, it is taken of the epoch in which they had a missionary in residence, and be warned: that in the Philippines, except the cities and towns, no town was founded before the year 1580, in which our religious ones celebrated chapter, and the natives discussed the expediency of the reduction of á town, which project, with that of the establishment of schools of the first instruction, raised in thesame year our V. P. Fr. Juan de Plasencia, to the Superior Government, who approved it in both points, the same ones that later were ordered to observe for special certificate of His Majesty. 3. On having observed that most of the towns that were administered by the religious Franciscans belongs to the immediate neighborhood, be remembered: that this province, for the major administration of its entrusted ones, has tried always the division of the towns. 4. By a tribute it is understood two persons from the age of 18 years for the men, and 20 for the women; but having been emancipated of the country in power, both sexes are taxed from 16 years up to the 60. 5. By one league it will be understood what a man usually travels in the space of one hour.