Documents Concerning the Calamba Deportations of 1891

Author(s): José S. Arcilla

Source: Philippine Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3 (July 1970), pp. 577-633
Published by: Ateneo de Manila University
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Texts and Documents

Documents Concerning the Calamba

Deportations of 1891
José S. Arcilla

One reason for Rizal's violent antipathy for the Dominicans was
the eviction of his family from their Calamba residence and estate in
1891. The Rizais were tenants, but they had lately refused to pay
the rent. Unsuccessful in their efforts for an amicable solution, the
Dominican land-owners finally filed suit against them. In 1891,
Rizal's entire family, together with other families from Calamba, were
evicted from their houses and deported to other parts of the Philippines.

In his prize-winning biography of Rizal, Ambassador Guerrero

devotes a few pages to the question. He explains that before the
Philippine courts the Dominicans had a valid claim through purchase
to the Calamba estates and so had the right to demand rent. On the
other hand, the Calamba tenants were simple people unlearned in
Spanish law, conscious only that they tilled land received from their
fathers. Guerrero then leaves the reader with the teaser: "What was
the truth of the matter?"1

It is a pity that in our study of Rizal the extremely rich collection

of manuscripts preserved in the Dominican Archives at Santo Domingo,
Quezon City, has very rarely been consulted. Fr. Pablo Fernández,
O.P., the archivist, has kindly called my attenion to a few manuscripts
relating to the Calamba affair. These I have translated and briefly
annotated.

The most important of these documents is the Apuntes aobre la

hacienda de Calumba.2 Written in 1909, the manuscript consists of

1 Leon Ma. Guerrero, The First Filipino. A Biography of José

Rizal (Manila, 1963), pp. 180-193.
2 From the Archivo de la Provincia del Santísimo Rosario de Filipi-
nas, Tomo 608.

577

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578 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

several ruled sheets 21 by 31 cms. It may be objected that the docu-

ment is of a later date than the events themselves. The author was
the lay brother administrator of the hacienda, and he seems to have
written the Apuntes for his religious superiors. It is safe to say he
would not have willingly misrepresented the situation, but would have
done all he could to write the truth.

The second document3 is an intramural account of the incident

intended for Dominican readers. Those who are acquainted with the
routine of a religious order know that when a situation arises in which
the whole Order is subjected to public scrutiny, as it were, the mem-
bers of the community are informed of what is happening. This may
be in the form of a letter from the Superior or just a simple narration
of the events. This is what our second document is: an informative
account of the Calamba affair.

The third set of documents4 is the exchange of letters between

the Governor General and the Dominican Superiors, the latter begging
an induit of pardon for the exiles who had been sent to Joló.

Based mainly on the Rizal correspondence, historical tradition

has been unkind to the Dominican land-owners of Calamba. The
Apuntes, however, affords new insight into the question. The author,
for example, denies that lands were transferred to new tenants who
could pay the higher rent. On the contrary, because of the system,
the land-owners had to bend over backwards, as it were, to accomodate
the tenants. When the brother administrator learned that several
of them used their borrowed capital for gambling, he stopped lending
money to them. When, for one reason or another, a request was made
to transfer lease-holds, the administrator first looked into the case.
There were cases in which the children would have been left landless
and so a compromise was reached. The contract was changed in favor
of the tenant's wife "with the express condition that, on her death,
it would pass on to the name of the son . . . . " It was this system,
by which children assumed the lease-hold of their parents, that led
to the custom of considering the tenants as the proprietors.

That the Dominicans were not altogether monsters of injustice

may easily be seen from the other documents. Thus far, it has not
been known that they had pleaded for mercy after the sentence of
deportation had been executed. It has also not been known that the
people of Calamba themselves had approached the Dominican parish
priest "begging with tears in their eyes for consolation in such a pain-
ful plight." In other words, there is also another side to the picture

3 APSR, mss., sección de 'Crónicas/* Tomo 3 vantes 369), folio

178 vuelto.
4 APSR, Copiador de Comunicaciones oficiales, Tomo 5, ff. 50-53.

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 579

and, for the sake of truth, it must also be examined in order to arrive
at a fair judgment of the Calamba land question. This is why the
following documents are important.

Editorial work has been minimal. The documents are self-

explanatory and their historical value is apparent from reading.
The following documents are found in the Archivo de la Provincia
del Santísimo Rosario de Filipinas, Santo Domingo, Quezon City, and
are here published with the kind permission of Fr. Fernández, O.P.,
Archivist.

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580 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

APUNTES SOBRE LA HACIENDA DE CALAMBA

Fr[ay] Felipe Dominguez fué nombrado Adm[inistrad]or

de la Hacienda de Calamba por el M[uy] R[everendo]
P[adre] Ftf[ay] Agustin Gallego el 28 de Agosto de 1880 y
tomó posesión el 31 del mismo mes dándole de compañero á
Fr[ay] Natalio Esparza. Estos hermanos estuvieron en buenas
relaciones con la Familia de José Rizal Mercado. Por en-
tonces estaba José estudiando en Manila. En las visitas que
hacía Ponciano Mercado Rizal á la Casa Hacienda, me suplicó
que le diese terrenos en contrata suficientes para poder instalar
seis máquinas de vapor con el fin de poder hacerse cargo cada
uno [sic] de sus hermanas al cerrar los ojos de su padre
Francisco Mercado: le contesté que se le señalarían terrenos
en abundancia y en donde fuese más de su gusto, con tal de
que la contrata se estendiera y la firmase su padre Francisco
Mercado; supuesto que el capital de unos 30 mil pesos eran
de su padre y de D [on] Telesfor Chuidian, Ponciano habló

5 Brother Dominguez was born in Tarancón, Cuenca (Spain) in

1839. He pronounced his vows as a Dominican lay brother in 1867,
and volunteered for the Philippine mission. A carpenter by training
and knowing something of woodcraft, he constructed the main stair-
case of the Santo Domingo convent in Intramuros which was destroyed
during the last war. In 1882, he was assigned to the Dominican
Procure in Madrid, but he returned to Philippines where he served
as the Director of the printing press of the University of Santo Tomás.
He was appointed the administrator of the Dominican estate in Ca-
lamba. There seems to be no doubt that he wrote the Apuntes.
Father Gallego was born in Marzales, Valladolid (Spain) in 1838 and
made his religious profession in 1855. He came to the Philippines in
1864 and served in the missions in Pangasinan until 1878, when he
was made Prior of Santo Domingo in Manila. In April 1880, he
acted as Provincial Superior of the Dominican Order in the Philip-
pines because of the death of the incumbent Provincial. He left the
Philippines for Rome when he was assigned as Socius for the Philip-
pine Province in 1895. Brother Esparza was born in Riezu, Navarra
(Spain) in 1844. He pronounced his vows as a Dominican lay brother
in 1876 and soon sailed for the Philippines, where he served as
administrator of the Dominican estates in Santa Cruz de Malabon,

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 581

NOTES ON THE CALAMBA ESTATE

Fray Felipe Dominguez [, O.P.] was appointed administra

tor of the Calamba estate by Very Reverend Father Fray Ag
tín Gallego [, O.P.] on 28 August 1880. He assumed charg
on the 31st of the same month and had as companion Fray N
talicio Esparza [, O.P.].5 These brothers were on good ter
with the family of José Rizal Mercado. José was at that ti
a student in Manila.

During [one of] the visits of Ponciano Mercado Rizal® to

the Casa Hacienda, he requested that I lease him enough land
to be able to set up six steam engines so that each one of his
sisters could take charge when his father, Francisco Mercado,
closed his eyes in death. I answered that lands in abundance
could be marked out for him wherever it pleased him most,
provided that the contract be drawn up and his father, Francisco
Mercado, signed it. Banking on a capital of some P30,000 from
his father and Don Telesforo Chuidian,7 Ponciano spoke with

Lolomboy and Calamba. In 1909, he was the administrator of the

hacienda in San Juan del Monte.
6 Ponciano is the spelling followed in a few manuscripts in the
Dominican archives. I have not been able to check which is the
correct spelling, Paciano (as is common) or Ponciano.
7 Telesforo Antonio Chuidian (1855-1903) migrated to the Philip-
pines from China with his parents, when he was still a little boy. He
grew up to be a successful businessman, a trader, besides investing in
real estate and buildings. He received from the Spanish government
the citation of Caballero de la Reál Orden Americana de Isabel la
Católica. It is said that he was the proto-type of Rizal's Capitan
Tiago in the latter's Noli me tangere . Imprisoned for six months in
Fort Santiago during the Philippine Revolution, he became a member
of the Malolos Congress when it convened in 1898. He formed the
commission, together with Pedro A. Paterno and Mariano Limjap,
which signed the paper bills issued by the new republic. On 4 July
1899, he was named Jefe de administración de primera clase, with the
military rank of Brigadier-General. He was imprisoned by the Amer-
ican military government, but was released immediately. He continued
in business under the American civil government, until he died of
tuberculosis of the larynx which he had contracted in Fort Santiago.

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582 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

con su padre diciéndole lo que yo le hab

que sí que él firmaría el contrato; pero qu
que fijarán el canon anual que tendría que pagar. En el
contrato que firmó D [on] Francisco Mercado se le concedió
los terrenos por término de 5 años sin pagar canon a pesar de
estar casi todo limpio, por haber estado sembrado algunos
años de palay de monte. A primera vista parece que el
Adm[inistrad]or se escedió en que se le concediese sin pago
en los 5 años; pero me incliné a hacerlo así, con el fin de
poder conseguir ver cultivado hasta la casa de majada. Du-
lante estas cuatro cosechas cojieron muy buenas cosechas por
lo cual estaban contentos y se mostraban agradecidos.

Ponciano visitaba los Domingos a los hermanos hacende-

ros y entre otras muchas cosas que se hablaban ya le pro-
ponía que supuesto que D [on] Telesforo Chuidian y su padre
Francisco reunían 30 mil pesos para dedicarlos a la agricultura
de la caña dulce, podrían formar una sociedad y poner una
fardería para blanquear el azúcar; y de este modo sacar
mas utilidad y no estar supeditadas a los acaparadores
Chinos de Manila, quien [es] les estaban poniendo la ley; pero
a pesar de mis buenos deseos no se formó sociedad para el
blanqueo de la azúcar. Por entonces no conocía yo el terreno
que pisaba; pero después conocí el inconveniente que había
para no poder formar sociedad. Al destinarme como Adm-
inistrad] or de la Hacienda de Calamba, me autorizaron para
adelantar capital al seis por 100 por que los Padres creyeron
a algunos inquilinos que vinieron a Manila diciéndoles que
no tenían capital y lo tenían que pedir y si se lo daban que
tenían que ser pagando un 25 por 100. Cuando fui conociendo
a la gente y el modo que tenían de emplear el capital tomado
para emplearlo en la agricultura a tan subido precio, desistí

8 The Dominican villa in the hacienda.

°At that time they found from experience that the lands for the
Calamba estate yielded better sugar than rice. The practice was for the
Dominicans to allow four havests without demanding rent for lands
tilled or cleared for the first time because of the expenses, the rela-
tively low yield of the land, the extra work entailed in opening the

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAME A DEPORTATIONS 583

his father and mentioned what I had said. He answered that he

would certainly sign the contract, but they should [first] de-
signate the [limits of the] land and agree on the annual rent
which he would have to pay. In the contract which Don Fran-
cisco signed, lands were leased to him without rent for five
years, although they were all practically cleared because they
had been for some years planted with upland rice. At first
sight, it seems that the administrator had gone too far in allow-
ing five years without rent. But I was inclined to do this in or-
der to have the land cultivated up to La Majada, the house.8
During these four plantings,9 they gathered very good har-
vests, for which they were satisfied and showed themselves grate-
ful.

Ponciano habitually visited the Brother hacenderos on

Sundays, and among many other things they often talked about,
[the administrator] finally suggested that if Don Telesforo
Chuidian and his father put together P30,000 to capitalize a
sugar farm, they might form a company and set up machinery
to process the sugar and so gain more profit and not be sub-
ject to the Chinese monopolists from Manila who dictated the
law to them. Despite my good suggestions, no sugar processing
company was formed. At that time, however, I was not familiar
with the ground I treaded, although I later saw the difficulty
against forming a company. When I was appointed the admi-
nistrator of Calamba, I was authorized to lend money at 6%
interest rate. The Dominican Fathers had believed some ten-
ants who had gone to Manila and told them that they had no
capital and had to borrow it. If people lent it to them, it had
to be at 25% interest rate. When I came to understand the
people and saw how they used the capital borrowed at such a
high rate to finance their agriculture, I stopped my loans to

land, etc. But, in general, the tenants had no capital for the machine,
i.e., the trapiche , for milling the juice, and so the contract was renewed
for another 4 harvests with the sole condition that payment annually
would be collected at a rate of PIO a year. The Dominican books
show that several tenants had contracts for 15 harvests without an
increase in the annual fee.

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584 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

de adelantarles por que sabía que por las noches las

ocupaban en jugar al monte en la casa de Lucía
Rizal donde no faltaba D [on] Telesforo Chuidian llevando
de Manila sacos de dinero para ir dando al que perdía; pero
con la condición de darle un recibo a cuenta de pilones de
azúcar a razón de muy bajo precio; y si por ejemplo tenía
que entregarle cien pilones a razón de 2 pesos y medio que
resultan 250 pesos y no entregaba más que 50 pilones cuyo
importe serían 105 pesos se los decontaban del recibo pero
por las 50 pilones que tenía obligación de entregar y no los
había entregado la cargaba en cuenta a razón de 5 pesos que
era el precio a que había vendido los 50 que le había entregado.
Un Domingo que estubo [sic] de visita Ponciano Mer-
cado después de la misa, me dijo ¿sabe Usted que mi hermano
José se ha embarcado en un vapor para Europa sin decirle
nada a nuestro querido padre? Yo le dije y quien le paga
el pasage y gastos durante el tiempo que esté por alia? Según
han dicho a algunos condiscípulos que le costeará todos los
gastos el padre de su novia que es rico con la condición de
casarse con la hija cuando vuelva con el grado de Doctor.
El Padre de José Rizal telegrafió a Singapore para que le
detuvieran; pero como el al embarcarse se cambió de nombre,
no se efectó la detención. Dijo su Padre: no le mandaré ni un
cuarto. Pero andando el tiempo parece que con las cartas
que José escrivía [sic] a Lucia y su primo, consiguió que todos
los inquilinos hiciesen causa común.
Cuando concluyó el primer contrato, solamente se le mi-
dió el terreno sembrado sin icluirle [sic] el que tenía preparado
para la siembra como él se había comprometido en el primer
contrato; y en lugar de ponérselo a razón de 25 pesos solamente

10 Gambling must have been a social problem in the Philippines.

There are several documents in the Philippine National Archives
which show the effort of the government to ban games and gambling.
11 There seems to be uncertainty just what exactly a pilón is. Some
say it is the local panocha, the brown sugar caked in a coconut shell,
or a container about two feet tall. The Spanish Academy defines

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 585

them. I knew that they spent their nights at the house of Lu

cia Rizal playing monte.™ Don Telesforo was always ther
bringing sacks of money from Manila to lend to any loser; o
condition, however, of signing a receipt valid for a number
pilones11 of sugar priced very cheaply. And if, for instance, [th
debtor] had to deliver 100 pilones at P2.50 each, totalling
P250.00, and he did not deliver more than 50 pilones, amount
ing to [only] P105.00, this was deducted from the account. Bu
for the other 50 pilones still owed and not yet delivered, he w
charged P5.00 each, the sale price of the sugar already deliver
Once on a Sunday visit after mass, Ponciano Mercado re-
marked, "Do you know that my brother José has taken a boa
for Europe without telling our dear father?" I asked him, "An
who is paying for the ticket, besides the expenses all the tim
that he is there?"12 According to some of his classmates, h
sweetheart's father, who is rich, will pay all the expenses, pr
vided that he marries her when he comes back a licensed doctor.
José Rizal's father sent a telegram to Singapore, but since h
had changed his name when he took passage, they failed to d
tain him. His father said, "I shall not send him even a
cuarto"13 In time, however, it seems that through the letters
he sent to Lucia and his cousin, José succeeded in having the
tenants ma,ke common cause together.14

When the first contract was terminated, only the cultivat-

ed area was leased to [Potenciano's father] , excluding the part
prepared for sowing as had been the agreement in the first con-
tract. And, instead of charging him P25, he was charged only

pilón as "pan de azúcar refinado, de figura cònica." ( Diccionario de

la Lengua Española, 18a edición, Madrid, 1956).
12 The quotation marks are my addition. I have not had the time
to determine whether this report about the agreement between Rizal
and his sweetheart's father came from Paciano or from the Dominican
brother.

13 A cuarto was, in the old Spanish system, equivalent to 4 marar

vedis de vellón , i.e., 3 céntimos de peseta. The modem exchange is
now 60 pesetas to one American dollar.
14 Guerrero has noted down these letters in his biography of Rizal.

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 586 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

se le puso a 15 pesos cade quiñón realen

76 areas. Por este motivo se mostraban muy agradecidos a
Fr[ay] Nataleo [sie] Esparza que por ese tiempo era el
Adm[inistrad]or. Pero con las cartas que recibían de José,
por el año 1886 fueron enfriando las buenas relaciones y em-
pezaron a no paga[r] el canon, y a ser hostiles haciendo todo
cuanto podían para hacer propaganda contra la Hacienda,
valiéndose de las cartas de José leyéndolas en sus juntas en
presencia de los inquilinos; y llegaron a creerse que llegaría
el tiempo de que serían propietarios de todos los terrenos; y
en estas reuniones daban con gusto grandes cantidades para
mandarlas a Europa para ir activando y poder conseguir ser
propietarios. También contrivuían [sie] los de S [an] ta Rosa
y Binan.

En los años 1887, 88 y 89 hubo necesidad de demandarlos

al Juzgado y poder evitar que con el fruto de las cosechas nos
estuvieran haciendo la guerra. Efectivamente; se les embargó
el palay se les lanzaron de sus terrenos, y fueron amainando.

Por las Navidades del año 87 estubo [sic] en Calamba

José y durante las misas de aguinaldo, que ellos llamaban
misas de gallo asistían mucha gente de los inquilinos y entre
ellos José Rizal en compañía del Teniente de la guardia civil,
y llevaban música y cuando llegaban al monte de Lechería se
sentaban en unos bancos de caña que habían hecho, y pro-
nunciaban discursos contra España y plantaban la bandera

15 Rizal's father made a contract for 500 hectares. The lands had
previously been cleared, and initial expenses were only for the plowing
and planting of the cane sugar. This initial contract was for four
harvests. According to the Dominican historian, Father Valentin
Morin ( Ensayo de los trabajos realizados por las Corporaciones Reli-
giosas en Filipinas, Tomo II, sub verbo "Laguna.")» the land is pre-
pared for planting by July and August. By January or February,
planting begins, "using the top ends [of the cane] . . . which stay in
the field for one entire year. When the cane is gathered for milling,
new shoots appear and these are left that year for a second harvest.

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAME A DEPORTATIONS 587

F15 for each lot of public land (5 hectares, 76 ares).15 For this
reason they were beholden to Fray Natalicio Esparza, the ad-
ministrator at that time. But, with the letters they were receiv-
ing from José, they soon cooled off in their good relations and b
1886 began to stop paying the rent. They became hostile, doing
all they could to propagandize against the estate, making use
of José's letters, reading them to the tenants in their meetings.
And they came to believe that it would soon be time when the
would be the proprietors of all the lands. At these meetings,
they gladly contributed great sums of money to send to Europ
in order to support the movement to make them proprietor
Even the people from Santa Rosa and Binan gave their share.
In 1887, 1888 and 1889, it was necessary to bring them to
court and it enabled us to avert the risk that at harvest time
they would fight us. As a result, their palay was confiscated,
they were ejected from the lands, and they gradually lost in-
terest in their plans.16
José was in Calamba around Christmas of 1887.
Many of the tenants were faithful to the Aguinaldo masses
which they call misa del gallo (mass at cock-crow). Amon
them was José Rizal, accompanied by the lieutenant of
the Civil Guard. They brought music along with them
to the milking mount where they sat on the bamboo
benches they had constructed and made speeches against
Spain and planted the German flag.17 When this came

All they need to do is keep the field clean of underbrush by plowing

it two or three times. There are some privileged areas (especially
in Calamba) which yield even four good harvests without replanting
with new shoots. But ordinarily the tenants do not gather in more
than two harvests..."

16 Aside from general and brief references to these incidents, there

does not seem to be any extensive study of the land problems in
Calamba in the late nineteenth century.
17 Rizal himself was aware of his alleged political affiliation with
Germany. Cf. his letter to Blumentritt, 5 September 1887: Epistolario
Rizalino (Kalaw ed.), V, pp. 199-213.

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 588 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

Alemania. Llegando la noticia al P[adr

dico, fué a Calamba para enterarse; y se
al General Veilfer [sic] antes de ir a Calamba a enterarse.
Pero al saber José que el P[adre] Govea estaba en Calamba,
salió escapado y marchó al estrangero, y no volvió a Manila
hasta que marchó Veiler y vino de General el otro que me
parece era Despujol. Desde Hongkong escrivió José al General,
suplicándole si podría venir a Manila; y este le contestó que
sí. Pero antes de desembarcar le registraron el equipage, y
encontraron proclamas impresas y libros donde trataba revolu-
ción contra España. Lo dejaron libre por no sé cuantos días
en Manila; y en este tiempo, tuvieron juntas glandestinas
[sic] y ordenaron juntas para los arrabales, y hasta en pro-
vincias que llegaría a poner en peligro la dominación Espafiala
[sí'c] sobre Filipinas. En vista de esto, lo mandaron como
desterrado a Dapitan; pero con muchas consideraciones, y re-
commendaciones al Capitán que lo conducía. Allí se dedicaba
a enseñar a los chiquillos doctrinas anti-religiosas y anti-
Españolas y anti-fraile®.

Contra lo que se ha propalado que los Administradores

quitaban los terrenos después que los tenían limpios, y que
se los daban a otros inquilinos que ofrecían pagar más canon;
es una falsedad y calumnia. El regimen que se observó siempre
en todas nuestras haciendas, fué fijar el canon y darlo por

18 Father Francisco Govea, O.P. was born in Salamanca in 1839.

He received ordination to the priesthood in 1862 and a year later was
working as a missionary in Pangasinan. He also worked in Bataan
and Cavite before being appointed Syndic in 1886. He is credited with
having constructed the beautiful church in Naie, besides several irriga-
tion systems, and schools for children.
19 Valeriano Weyler was governor of the Philippines from 1888 to
1891. Eulogio Despujol succeeded him on 17 November 1891. He in
turn was succeeded on 1 March 1893 by acting governor Federico
Ochando.

20 These letters have been cited by Guerrero in his biography of

Rizal.
21 See Gúerrero and his references to the letters of RizaL
22 It is interesting to note the sensitivity of the Spanish community

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 589

to the attention of Father Govea, the Syndic,18 he

went to Calamba to find out. And it was said that he had vi-
sited General Weyler before coming to Calamba to investigate.
When José learned that Father Govea was in town, he fled the
place, escaping abroad. He did not return to Manila until
Weyler had departed and another had come as Governor Gene-
ral, Despujol it was, I believe.19 From Hongkong José wrote to
the General asking if he could come to Manila.20 The Gover-
nor sent word that he could; but, before he came ashore, they
searched his baggage and found printed proclamations and
books discussing revolution against Spain.21 They left him free
in Manila for I do not know how many days. At this time, they
held secret meetings, and made plans for others in the suburbs
as well as in the provinces, so that Spanish domination of the
islands was endangered.22 Because of this, they deported him
as an exile to Dapitan, but with due respect and the proper
instructions to the captain who conducted him. There he
dedicated himself to teaching little boys anti-religious, anti-
Spanish and anti-friar doctrines.28

Regarding the rumor that the administrators had taken

the lands from the tenants after they had cleared them, and
that they had given them to other tenants who offered to pay
a higher rent: this is a lie and a calumny. The rule that has al-
ways been followed in our estates was to fix the rent and settle

in Manila, both public and private, to the least sign of rebellion against
Spain. In 1870, two years before the Cavito mutiny, a Spanish priest
serving as the Treasurer of the Manila Cathedral, was shipped back
to Spain because he dared to mention in a sermon that the mother
country had allowed freedom of worship to the Spaniards. This was
considered inflammatory and at least "indiscreet."

23 Rizal's letters to Blumentritt describing his life in Dapitan

give a different picture from what the author of this document gives.
One of these letters contains a brief description and apparent resig-
nation to his "present evil [from which] much fruit will be gathered ..."
(Rizal to Blumentritt, 19 December 1893: j Epistolario, V, pp. 651).
Rizal also writes that he was teaching Arithmetic, Spanish and English.

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590 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

contrata y renovar estas volviéndolas a m

poder apreciar con justicia y equidad sub
en la nueva contrata; y nunca se le dió
siendo a petición y súplicas del que hizo e
de padres a hijos. Es más; cuando suplicab
se le traspasase algún terreno a otra pers
la familia, el hermano Adm[inistrad]or a
en su cartera o en un registro y le decía a
bien entre tanto llegue el tiempo de la v
P[adre] Visitador, nombrado por Nuest
se publicaba un bandillo anunciando el día de la visita. Re-
unidos los inquilinos se empezaba leyendo el padrón nombrando
los nombres con la nota (pagado) (o bacante [sic] por deudor)
y al concluir la lectura, les preguntaba el P[adre] Visitador;
los que tengan que esponer alguna cosa o tengan alguna recla-
mación que se aprosimen y espongan lo que quieran. A todos
los escuchaba con atención, uno por uno, con mucha caridad,
y cuando acababan de hablar, preguntaba el P [adre] Visitador
al hermano Ad [ministrad] or si era conveniente el hacer el
traspaso que pedía del terreno; a lo que éste contestaba unas
veces que sí; pero otras veces esponía que no convenía, por el
motivo que tenía hijos capaces para seguir cultivando los
terrenos. El P[adre] Visitador después de hacerles varias
preguntas al [sic] inquilino [s], y estando conforme este, ponía
el P [adre] Visitador el traspaso de su puño y letra. Por súplica
de este inquilino pasan estos cargos a Fulano de tal y ponía
su firma.

También se ha propalado que los inquilinos han gastado

mucho dinero en roturar los terrenos; y que los hermanos
Administradores, les iban subiendo el canon sin tener en cuenta
los desembolsos que los inquilinos habían hecho. Esto es
otra falsedad; porque el sistema que tenían los agricultores
de la caña dulce era el siguiente. Se le hacía un contrato de
un gran terreno que con anticipación había elegido; por que

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 ARCILLA: THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 591

it by contract. On renewal the terms were reviewed once mo

so that the rent could be equitably and reasonably increased
in the new contract. Never was the lease given to another t
nant, except at the request and consent of the first lessee, w
had passed the contract from father to son. There is somethi
else. When a tenant asked that a piece of land be transferre
to another person who did not belong to his family, the brother
administrator noted these requests in Iiis notebook or in a regis-
ter, and told the petitioner, "I shall keep it in mind until t
visitation." When the Visitor appointed by our Father Pr
vincial was due, notice was posted of the day of the visit. Wh
the tenants had come together, they began to call the roll, mark
ing after each name "PAID," or leaving a blank space after th
name if a particular tenant had unpaid debts. After all t
names had been called, Father Visitor asked questions. Thos
who had something to report or some complaint to make h
asked to come up and say what they wanted. He heard them
all with attention, one by one very kindly, and after th
finished their turn, he questioned the brother administrat
whether it was convenient to make the transfer of the land
requested. Sometimes he answered in the affirmative; at oth
times he explained that it was not convenient, since the ten
had sons fit to continue tilling the land. The Visitor put sev
ral questions to the tenant. And then, if the latter agreed, t
Visitor wrote the deed of transfer in his own hand: "At the
quest of this tenant, these obligations are passed on to So-an
So." And he signed it.

It has also gone around that the tenants had spent much
money to plough the land, and that the brother administrat
had been raising the rent without taking into account the e
penses the tenants had made. This is another lie.24 For t
system of the sugar cane planters was this. A big piece of la
was leased to them, chosen with an initial down payment. T

24 See note 9 above.

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592 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

la mayor parte estaba limpio, por haber

lay de monte; en el contrato se le ponía
sin más pago que 10 pesos al año, por m
en algunos sin pago durante los 4 años
eran diligentes, sea por falta de capita
era poca y en los 3 primeros años de
llegaba a cojer [sic] unos 100 pilones d
tanto, había cobrado a los que habían sembrado palay de
monte 3 cabanes de palay por cada cabán de semilla, obligán-
doles a ceder la leña que desmontaban para el uso de la má-
quina, o para venderla los propios inquilinos, obligabándoles
[sic] a que en el terreno donde habían sembrado el palay;
le dieran dos manos de arado, para poder sembrar de caña el
inquilino del contrato, que por los 4 años no pagaba a la
hacienda. Como corroboración [sic] de lo dicho, pondré aqui
uno solamente. Potenciano Andaya vecino de Cabuyao firmó
un contrato el año de 1870 y que durante 4 años, no págase
nada siendo así que el terreno estaba limpio la mitad. Este
inquilino fuese por falta de animales y poco capital, sembró
poca caña; cumplió los 4 años del primer contrato, y se renobó
[sic] por otros 4 años, despues de haber sido visitado por el
hermano Adm[inistrad]or en compañía de Potenciano; y en
este dia, a ruegos y súplicas de este, consiguió que se le
prorrogára por otros 4 años y prometiendo aumentar los ani-
males y así la siembra sería mucha. Al concluir este 2o contrato
había aumentado pero poco y así sucesivamente hasta el 5o
contrato o sean 20 años, y pagaba en el año 1890 a razón de
10 pesos por cada quiñón realengo o sea por cada 5 ectareas
76 areas.

25 The Spanish Academy gives lhe following land measurements:

Quiñón : "Medida agraria usada en Filipinas, igual a 10 balitas y a
360,000 pies cuadrados. Su equivalencia métrica, 2 hectareas, 79 áreas
y 50 centiáreas." Balita : "Medida agraria usada en Filipinas, décima
parte dellquiñón, compuesta de 10 loanes y equivalente á 5 celemines,

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 593

portion was [already] cleared, since it had been planted with

upland rice. And in the contract, it was explicitly stated th
for four years the fee would be only PIO per year, no matt
how big the area; for some other lots, there would be no re
for four years. But since not all were industrious, or it may
for lack of capital, there was little sugar planted. In the fir
three years of the contract, there was a total harvest of on
100 pilones of sugar. Meanwhile, from those who had plante
upland rice, three cavans of rice had been collected from eve
cavan of seed rice. [There was an agreement to] give back th
wood which they had gathered to use in the [sugar] machin
or [which they had planned] to sell themselves. It was fu
thermore understood that they were to give two turns to th
plow in order to allow the contractor who had paid nothing
for four years to the estate to plant sugar cane! As corrobo
ration of what I have said, I shall cite only one case.

Potenciano Andaya, a resident of Cabuyao, signed a con-

tract in 1870 with the agreement that for four years he wou
pay no rent, seeing that half the land was already cleare
This tenant - let it be for lade of animals and capital -
planted little sugar cane. He finished the four years of the
first contract which was renewed for another four years, after
the land had been inspected by the brother administrator to-
gether with Potenciano [himself.] That day, on his own form-
al request, Potenciano received an extension for [still] an-
other four years, [and he] promised that he would increase
his animals to enlarge his plantation. At the termination of
this second contract, there was an increase, but not much. It
continued this way for four successive contracts until the fifth,
or after 20 years. And in 1890, he was paying a yearly rent
of PIO for each share of land (5 hectares, 76 ares).25

y 10 estadales, o sea a 27 áreas y hace 95 centiáreas." Loan : Medida

usada en Filipinas décima parte de la balita e igual a 3,600 pies cuad-
rados, o sea 2 áreas y 79 centiáreas." (Diccionario de la Lengua Españo-
la, sub verbis ).

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594 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

Para formarse una idea completa, si el canon estaba

fijado barato o caro, podremos anotar lo que pagaban.

(Nota) Ia. Clase 30 pesos, y cosechaban 500 pilones que

vendidos a 3 pesos 50 céntimos = 1,750 pesos.

2a. Clase pagaba a 25 pesos y cosechaban 400

pilones importe 1,400 pesos.

3a. Clase paga 20 pesos y cogen 300 pilones; im-

porte 1,000 pesos.

4a. Clase paga 15 pesos y cogen 200 pilones; su

importe 700 pesos.

Los gastos de cada pilón es 10 reales; pero como de cada

pilón recogen 5 reales de miel para los caballos, resulta que el
gasto se reduce a 5 reales cada pilón, o sean 62 céntimos de
peso. Ademas hay una circunstancia muy conveniente de
tenerla en cuenta, y es que en los años que hay enfermedades
de animales, o de langosta, suplicaban rebajas y seles atendía
visitando los terrenos antes de la cosecha en compañía del
inquilino, y fijaban la rebaja que se le debía hacer; y algún
año solo se les cobró la mitad, o la 3* parte y algún inquilino
no se le cobró nada.

Aunque sea algo pesado voy a repetir aqui lo que ya se

lleva dicho sobre la calunia [sic] de que los terrenos los quitá-
bamos y los dabamos a otros inquilinos que se ofrecía a pagar
mas canon. El orden que siempre se ha observado en nuestros
[sic] Haciendas, fué el traspasar los terrenos a quien supli-
caba el inquilino pero había casos que el hermano averiguaba
que los querían enagenar de su familia, dejando despojados
para siempre a los niños de menor edad. En estos casos no
se le concedía lo que venía suplicándo; y solamente se le con-
cedía que pasarán a nombre de su esposa con la expresa con-
dición, que al morir ésta, se pondrían a nombre del hijo más
dispuesto y de mejor conducta. Como ésta práctica se venía
observando desde el principio de la administración de las Ha-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 595

To see fully whether rent was high or low, we shall in-

dicate what they paid:
1st class: P30, for a harvest of 500 pilones, which sold
at P3.50 each, grossing Pi, 750.00.
2nd class: P25, for a harvest of 400 pilones, which so
at P3.50, grossing PI, 400.00.
3rd class: P20, harvest of 300 pilones, gross income PI, 00
4th class: P15, harvest of 200 pilones, gross income P70

The expenses for each pilon amount to 10 reaies. But

since from every pilon they gather 5 reales worth of honey
the horses, the resulting expenses are reduced to 5 reales, or
céntimos de peso.2* There is a further note to make, and th
is, in years of disease among animals or of locusts, they ask
and were granted a reduction in fees. Together with the t
ant, the lands were visited [by the administrator] and th
agreed on the deduction to make. And in one year alone
either only half [of the rent] was collected, or a third,
from one tenant nothing.

It may be a little repetitious, but I shall repeat now wh

has already been said about the calumny that we had tak
away the lands and given them to other tenants who offer
to pay a higher rent. The order which has always been
served in our estates was to transfer lands to the man for whom
the tenant had made the request. But there were cases whe
the brother discovered that the tenants wanted to alienate
the land from their family, leaving children of minor age des-
titute forever. In these cases, the tenant was not granted his
request. He was allowed to transfer the lease only to the
name of his wife with the express condition that, on her
death, it would pass on to the name of the son who was better
disposed or better behaved. Since this practice had been
observed from the beginning of the administration of the estate

26 In 1777-1880, one peso fuerte (silver) was equivalent to $1.7151.

I cite this just to show it is rather risky to guess at the modern equi-
valents of currencies in the last century.

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596 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

ciendas de los Padres Dominicos, fu

cepción, se consideraban como propiet
que tomasen dinero de otros que no f
en los padrones, y sin tener noticia el
este motivo no figuraban en el padrón oficial. En el dia de
la visita anual, los inquilinos que no habían satisfecho por
completo el cargo, se les leió vacante por deudor; pero si
completaban el pago durante los 10 dias que concedía de
prórroga, se le ponía por mano del he[rman]o Administrador
y bajo su firma ... Se le devolvieron los terrenos y demás car-
gos, por haber se [sic] presentado y pagado. Todavía aunque
raro volvía sin dinero alguno suplicando al Administrad] or
tres dias más de prórroga, y se los concedía.

Advertencia. En los terrenos de la Hacienda de Calamba,

hay muchos terrenos donde con ima sola siembra, prenden
fuego a las hojas secas que quedan despues de haber molido
la caña, y vuelve a retoñar hasta 4 años consecutivos; y tan
solo con darle dos manos de arado y limpiar las malas yervas
[s¿e] , recogen mejor azúcar que de la siembra Ia pero en menor
cantidad.

Al respaldo de esta plana copio del padrón de cobranza

el cargo que pagaba anualmente Eusebio Elepaño, por el cual
se podrá ver el producto líquido que le resulta en vista de los
datos que se han anotado vendiendo el pilón a 3 pesos y 50
céntimos cada uno, y teniendo presente que se ha vendido
algunos años a cuatro y cinco pesos. El año 1876 y 77 lo
vendieron a 8 pesos el pilón.
Manila 26 de agosto 1909

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 597

by the Dominican Fathers, discounting a rare exception, th

tenants came to be considered as the proprietors. And from
this followed [their practice of] collecting money from oth
who were not listed as tenants in the books, without the
knowledge of the administrator. For this reason, they were
not mentioned in the officical census. On the day of the an-
nual visitation, the names of tenants who had not fully paid
their debts were left unmarked (as still owed). But if they
paid their debts within the ten days of grace, their names were
duly noted by the brother administrator himself and signed,
. . . the lands were returned to them, with the other charges,
because they had come and had paid. Still, although rarely,
if someone came back without money and asked the admi-
nistrator for three more days of grace, these were granted him.

Note: Among the lands of the Calamba estate, there are

areas where, after just one planting, they burn the dry leaves
left after the milling of the sugar, and succeeding crops grow
[without planting] for four consecutive years. By just giving
two turns to the plow and weeding out the bad grass, they
gather a better harvest of sugar than the first yield, but in
lesser quantity.

On the other side of this page I copy from the list of

fees the annual rent paid by Eusebio Elepaño. It will show
his net produce, considering the data listed from selling at
P3.50 a pilon, and keeping in mind that in some years it sold
at F4.50. In 1876 and 1877, the pilon sold at P8.00
Manila, 26 August 1909.

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598 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

NOTE ON THE TABLES

A few Tagalog terms might not be understood by some

of the readers. Catijan is the higher shoreland which dries up
during low tide. If fish traps were planted here, it would be
easy to catch the fish when the tide ebbed away. Tomana
would be a garden plot, i.e., land used for planting vegetables,
as distinct from farm lands which were for rice or corn crops.
Pono (= punô in Tagalog) would refer to the individual tree
( pono de manga of Table 2), or to the individual bamboo cane.
The latter came in different sizes and lengths, some of which
were strong and long enough for use in building house ( 95
ponos Caña oonstru. of Table 1).
There are a few errors in the tabulation. In Table 2, the
annual rental for 100 brazas (about 2 yards to a braza) of
fishing ground ( pesquería ) should read 12, 4/8 céntimos, in-
stead of 12, 4/3. It is very hard to say what this amount
would be today. In Table 3, the total sugar harvest should
read 254,500 pilones, instead of 164,500. The total land area
under lease or cultivation should read 56,263 hectares instead
of 56,218.

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 ARCILLA : THE CAL AMBA DEPORTATIONS 599

MEDIACIÓN CARGO

Ž S « «¡
£
£Žoo S
S g£«¡tí
«!
2»CO«!
a S < £ « tí
C? M «
Residencia PLATA PALAY

Sementera regadío pueblo 1 3 4 13 7.55 67-15

Yden iden Bacal 6 7 3 3.75 33-19-4

Catijan caña la clase Iden 23 9 8 90 719.66

Yden iiden 3a clase ^igá 12 2 4 U

Por 95 ponos Caña costru Bacal 11.27

Su solar calle principal 4 82

Otro
casacamarín de piedra yaa 4
de sierra 4 12 10 30
Solar con camarín piedra Barra 3 8.75
Solar de Felix 1 1
«
« ,
Solar
„ ™
, de
.98
„ ™ Macario

Solar de «Juan 1

Solar de Marcelo *
100
Solar de La Gallera

Por la 2¡* siembra regadío 32-455

Total = I 1,130 ļ 133-14-9

Table I

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 601

Estado de Renta * , . ...

cultivo y ren- Regadío Secano Total de Azúcar que ťroaucto total
ta del aitò Palay Extension

1896- Palay Plata 8 *176

Cal'amba Hectáreas 2,700 11000 31000 100,000 $ 50,000.00

Sta. Rosa 800 18000 14000 80.000 $ 47,000.00
Biñang 750 17000 10000 60,000 $ 39.500.00
Sta. Cruz 1,800 18000 2000 2,000 $ 33,500.00
Naie 1,500 17000 5000 10,000 $ 34,750.00
Pandi 2,200 5600 27000 2,500 $ 32,250.00
Lolomboy 700 8000 2000 $ 16,000,00
Orion 300 1000 $ 10,000.00

Sumas 10,750 94600 92000 164,500 $263,000.00

Sembra. , Otros Pastos y , Cam.0 Total

do! de *den_ , produc- Sola- bosques Made
Arroz cana' res bajos y ^ena barrios hect.

Calamba 904 5,076 850 610 6,535 1,515 9124 16414

Sta. Rosa 1,886 2,707 198 176 33 5000

Biñang 2,033 1,021 300 46 3400

Sta. Cruz 2,593 776 153 4,500 631 8701

Naie <2,160 500 559 59 3,996 695 7969

Lollomboy 4,554 H20 124 78 4876

Pandi 6,700 88 2,730 385 9903

Total ¡ 20,830 10,080 1,40

Rentas ļ 178,147 33.200 4,290 6,860 4, 0(H) 500 =* 226997*

Table III

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602 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

II

Por el mes de Octubre de este año [1891] tuvo lugar en

Calamba un suceso no muy importante en si, pero que dió
motivo a grandes alaracas de los individuos la Asociación His-
pano Filipina de Madrid contra nuestra Corporación y a
que algunos periódicos de la Península y de Hongkong, bien
pagados por los filibusteros de aquí, escribiesen y publicasen
artículos y manifiestos desfigurando la verdad y atestados de
mentiras y calumnias, contra nuestra Corporación. La verdad
de lo que en Calamba sucedió aparece claramente espuesta en
el siguiente importante artículo que en defensa en [s¿c] Nues-
tra Corporación y con datos ciertos que se le enviaron publicó
la "Epoca": Dice así: = "Filipinas - Cuestión Importantísi-
ma. = Reviste grande importancia la carta que hemos recibido
de Filipinas, en la cual se explica minuciosamente todo lo
ocurrido en Calamba y las causas que lo han motivado. = Si
los Colegas de oposición que, ya por espíritu de secta, ya por-
qué son sorprendidos en su buena fé, examinan el contenido
de las siguientes líneas, ellos que, serán españoles antes que
individuos de ningún partido, cambiarán seguramente de
opinión, pues bien claro está, como la lúz del dia, que toda
la razón tienen los Padres Dominicos, los cuales han agotado
todos los médios imaginables antes de llegar al extremo a que
han llegado las cosas. He aquí la carta, fecha en Manila el
17 de noviembre último." Dice así: = Lo de Calamba.
= "En los últimos dias de octubre último y primeros de no-
viembre actual se han derribado en este pueblo algunas casas,
de estas cuatro ó cinco de madera y todas las demás de
materiales ligeros ó de caña y ñipa, las de esta última cate-
goría, más merecen el titulo de chozas que de casas, al propio
tiempo y por orden del Gobernador General D [on] Valeriano
Weyler, han pasado a Calamba unos cincuenta soldados del
Regimiento Peninsular de Artillería al mando del Coronel del

27 In this second document, the portions within quotation marks

are the passages taken from the publication La Epoca by the Dominican

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 603

II

In the month of October this year [1891 J an incident

occurred in Calamba, not very important in itself, but giving
occasion for wild outcries27 by the members of the Fil-Hispanic
Association in Madrid against our Order. It also elicited from
periodicals in the peninsula and in Hongkong, suborned by
local filibustered, written proclamations and articles that dis-
torted the truth, based on calumnious lies against our Order.
What really happened in Calamba is clearly detailed in the
following important article from La Epoca in defense of our
Order and publishing the true facts sent to the editor.

The Philippines: A Very Important Question

We have received a very important letter from the Philip-
pines minutely relating the whole incident in Calamba and its
causes. If the colleagues from the opposition, either out
of a spirit of partisanship or because they are surprised in
good faith, examine the contents of the following lines, those
who will first be Spaniards before being members of any party
will surely change their mind. It is clear as day that the
Dominican fathers are completely right. They have exhausted
all means imaginable before going to the extreme to which
things have come. Here is the letter from Manila, dated
17 November.

The Calamba Affair

"In the last days of October and the first days of Novem-
ber, some houses in Calamba were dismantled. Of these, 4 or 5
were of wood, and all the rest were of light materials, bamboo
and nipa - these latter more aptly described as hovels than
houses. At an opportune time Governor General Valeriano Wey-
ler ordered about 50 troopers of the Peninsular Artillery Regi-

scribe. I am not sure which lines are quotations from the Manila
letter sent to the editor of the newspaper.

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604 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

20° Tercio de la Guardia Civil, señor Do

Garcia. Este tercio comprende las prov
limítrofes una de los cuales es la de la Laguna, cuyo es el
pueblo de Calamba. Ultimamente se ha deportado a veinticinco
individuos, por tenerse el convencimiento de que son las gentes
de la perturbación de aquella localidad." = Por qué el auxilio
de la fuerza. = "Ha ido la fuerza para auxiliar la ejecución
de la sentencia de desahucio dictado por el Juzgado de Ia
Instancia, y confirmado despues en apelación por la Real
Audiencia de Manila a la vez que para prevenir cualquier
desorden ó perturbación de la tranquilidad pública que pudiera
ocurrir al ejecutar una sentencia que afectaba a no poco [sic]
vecinos del citado pueblo." Las causas que hicieron concebir
temores son: = Ia El gran número de desahuciados, pues
siendo estos tantos, y la Guardia Civil de aquel puesto muy
reducida, era cosa de que se tomaran precauciones por si algunos
adoptaban actitud rebelde y se resistían al juzgado ó cometían
atropellos contra las autoridades ó contra los religiosos. = 2a
Que en otros desahucios de menos escala habían insultado al
Juez executor y a sus acompañantes, adoptando una actitud
ofensiva que no llegó a vias de hecho por la presencia de la
Guardia Civil llamada de propósito para proteger la adminis-
tración de justicia. = 3a Porqué en esta ocasión no se pudo
disponer de la suficiente fuerza de la Guardia Civil destinada
en la provincia, porqué siendo escaso el personal de los difer-
entes puestos y secciones si se hubiera concentrado en Ca-
lamba, se habrían quedado casi abandonados esos mismos pues-
tos y secciones. = "La tropa se ha conducido en Calamba
con extrema cordura: no ha hedió extorsión de ningún género
a ninguno de los vecinos. El Coronel y Oficiales han exportado
hospedados por su cuenta en una casa principal por ofrecimien-
tos del dueño y la tropa en otra casa desalquilada, vacante
a virtud de desahucio; ha pagado religiosamente al pueblo ra-
ciones y demás que han necesitado, y en los diferentes incen-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 605

ment to Calamba, led by Colonel Francisco Olive Garcia, com

mander of the 20th Tercio of the Civil Guard. This tercio covers
Manila and the surrounding provinces, one of which is Laguna
to which Calamba belongs. Lastly, 25 persons were deported
because they were considered to be the agitators in the
locality."

Why the Use of the Forces

"The military force has gone to Calamba to help enforce
the sentence of eviction imposed by the Court of First Instance,
a sentence later sustained on appeal before the Royal Audiencia.
The troops were also ordered to stop any agitation or public
disorder which might ensue from the execution of the sentence
affecting not a few residents."
The reasons for such a fear are: 1. The big number of
evictions. Since the Civil Guard is much reduced in that
post, it was a question of taking precautionary measures in
case some should assume an attitude of rebellion and resist
the court, or attack the authorities or the Dominicans. 2. Tn
other minor cases of dispossession, the people had insulted
the executive official and his staff, assuming postures of de-
fiance, but they had not carried out their threats because of
the presence of the Civil Guard detailed precisely to protect
the administration of justice. 3. On this occasion they could
not dispose of sufficient forces of the Civil Guard assigned
throughout the province because in the different posts and
stations, there were not enough men. If these had been con-
centrated in Calamba, those posts and stations would have
been almost completely abandoned.

"The troops have behaved in Calamba with great pru-

dence. They have not in any way victimized a single resident.
The colonel and his officers have found logding in a prominent
house at the invitation of its owner and they paid him at their
own expense. The troops went to another house for rent,
empty because of the evictions. They have scrupulously paid
for their rations and their other needs. They have opportunely

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606 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

dios, realizados ó frustrados por los rebel

doramente (al Juez de Paz le han quemado
rín lleno de grano) ha prestado eficasisimo [sic~' auxilio y
trabajado como si fuese un cuerpo de bomberos/' = Los desa-
hucios. = Se ha verificado el desahucio de veintinueve colonos
de la hacienda de San Juan Bautista de Calamba en fincas
rústicas y urbanas. = "La sentencia de los tribunales decía:
que desalajen [sie] las fincas rústicas y solares que tienen en
arrendamiento de las que trata juicio en los términos y plazos
que marca la ley con apercibimiento que de no efectuarlo se
procederá al alzamiento que la misma prescribe." = No se
ha hecho más que cumplir al pie de la letra sin extralimitación
alguna, la sentencia: ésta ha sido ejecutada no por la tropa
ni por particulares, si no por las gentes de la administración
de justicia. = "Los restos de los materiales de las casas derri-
badas por sentencia judicial se han puesto a disposición de
sus dueños si bien ordenándoles el Gobernador de la provincia
que no los pusieran en la vía pública y que si en el término
de veinticuatro horas no los recogían (cañas, ñipa y restos
de otros materiales ligeros de escasísimo valor) se les pren-
dería feugo en lugar seguro." = Este ha sido el motivo por-
qué se ha hablado algo en Manila de las casas quemadas en
Calamba; no se ha hecho tal quema; se ha puesto fuego, de
orden de la Autoridad, a los restos del derriba que los dueños
no quisieron recoger, tínicamente en un barrio lejano a orillas
del lago, se prendió fuego a un grupo, no de casas sino de
tapancos (que ni siquiera llegan a chozas) de pescadores que
habiéndose colocado allí sin permiso de la Hacienda y amones-
tados repetidas veces a que reconocieran el derecho del pro-
pietario, pudiendo haberlos lanzado en el momento, se les dió
doce dias de plazo, y, no sometiéndose [a] la autoridad, dis-
puso que se quemáran aquellas barracas levantadas contra todo
derecho y usurpando la propiedad de los Padres Dominicos."

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 607

helped as a team of firemen during the several fires insidiou

or treacherously started and attempted by the rebels (they
burned the Judge's house and camarín filled with grain)."

The Evictions

"Twenty-nine tenants of the rural and urban areas of

the hacienda in San Juan, Calamba were evicted. The court
sentence read: 'Let the rural and urban lots held on lease
to which this case refers be evacuated, according to the terms
and limits maiked by law, with the understanding that, in
case of failure to comply, the law will proceed to their demo-
lition as provided for by the same.' Nothing was done beyond
the sentence according to the teño*- of the law, without going
beyond its provisions. This was effected not by the troops, nor
by private persons but by agents of the department of justice.

"The remaining materials of the houses have been by

judicial act placed at the disposal of the owners, although the
provincial governor had ordered that they should not leave
them on the public road and that, if within 24 hours they
did not collect them (the bamboo, nipa and the other light
materials of slight value) they would be burnt in a safe place."

This was the reason why there was some talk in Manila
about houses burning in Calamba. No such conflagration took
place. The remaining materials of the demolished houses,
which their owners did not want to recover, were put to the
flames. And only in a remote barrio by the lakeshore a
bunch, not of houses, but of fishermen's sheds (which could
not even be called huts) was burned. These had been built
without permission from the hacienda, and the owners had
been repeatedly warned to respect the rights of the proprietor
[of the land]. They could have been evicted right away, but
they were allowed 12 days, after which, because they did not
submit to authority, the order was given to burn these sheds
illegally built and in usurpation of the Dominican property
rights.

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608 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

= Lo ocurrido en años anteriores. ="En la actualidad rebelde

que, va á hacer cuatro años - debido a las predicaciones de
Rizal, que han continuado desde Europa - han tomado gran
parte de los colonos de Calamba, los Padres Dominicos han
venido desplegando un plán que, inspirado en los deseos de
paz y amistoso arreglo, han tenido que llevar hasta sus últimas
consecuencias: primero, el cariño, la suavidad, el llamamiento
paternal, proceder que sin tomar absolútamente medida de
rigor duró desde septiembre de 1887 hasta igual mes de 1888;
después, viéndo que persistían en su tenáz desobediencia, em-
baucados y seducidos por Rizal y compañeros de este en
Europa y por los agentes del filibusterismo en Manila, se pensó
hacer uso de las facultades que el derecho otorga ante la jus-
ticia, y, para que los demás aprendieran y escarmentáran, se
empezó demando a juicio de desahucio a la familia principal
entre los colones a la de Rizal." = Este juicio, interpuesto
primero en el Juzgado de Paz de Calamba, y perdido en este
juzgado porqué el Juzgado de Paz le interinaba el teniente
Juez de Sementeras, un indio vulgarísimo, y la sentencia la
dictó el hermano de Rizal, se continuó y terminó en apelación
de los Dominicos en el de primera instancia de S [an] ta Cruz:
los condenados interpusieron recurso de queja ante el Tri-
bunal Supremo, pero fué desatendido y rechazado por im-
procedente. = Obtenido, como era de rigor esta sentencia, se
ejecutó haciendo que desalojasen la casa y poniendo los muebles
en la calle, (pues ellos se resistían a ejecutar la sentencia) en
presencia del pueblo; pero se respetó la casa, es decir se cumplió
a medias, porqué así lo quisieron los Padres Dominicos el
auto de desahucio, puesto que no dejaron amplio y expedito
el solar, como procedía en rigor, sinó que se contentaron los
propietarios con que salieran los que persistentes en no pagar,
lo ocupaban. De este modo lento han venido verificándose
otros desahucios de solares, y a fin de no extremar actitudes
y hacerles ver que más bien se les esperaba que se les ahuyen-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 609

The Incidents in Previous Years

In the present uprising, now in its fourth year (instigated

by the continued preaching of Rizal from Europe) many of
the Calamba tenants are involved. The Dominican fathers
have followed a plan of action out of their desire for peace
and hoping for a friendly settlement, but which they had to
carry to its final consequences. First kindness, benevolence
and fatherly invitations - an approach they followed from
September 1887 to September 1888, without recourse to vio-
lent means. But, convinced by Rizal and his companions in
Europe and by the active filibustered in Manila, the tenants
persisted in their disobedience and so it was decided to make
use of the powers which in justice are allowed by law. And
in order that others might learn and mend their ways, the
fathers instituted a suit for eviction against the principal tenant
family of the Rizais.

The case, first filed before the Calamba Justice of the

Peace, was lost because the presiding judge was the deputy
inspector of the fields, a low-born indio, and Rizal's brother
dictated the sentence. Appealed by the Dominicans, tne case
was raised and settled in the Court of First Instance of Santa
Cruz, Laguna. The plaintiffs then had recourse to a plea for
suspended judgment before the Supreme Court, but it was
denied hearing for lack of merit.

With the imposition of the sentence, it was implemented

by carrying out the order to abandon the house and leave the
furniture on the street in the sight of the people, since they
themselves refused to obey the court. But the house was
spared, that is, the judgment of eviction was enforced only
partially as the Dominicans had requested, since the lot was
not cleared as would ordinarily have been done. The owners
were satisfied with the eviction of the tenants who persisted in
not paying [rent]. In this way, gradually, the eviction of the
other families followed, always taking care not to resort to
extremes, making them see that the fathers would rather

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610 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

taban y castigaban. = "Al desahucio de Rizal siguió el de

otras dos, después el de tres ó cuatro y luego el de doce; yendo
por grados, aumentando sucesivamente el número de deman-
dados, a fin de que el pueblo pudiera ir viéndo que no le
saldrían bien sus tretas, pues ni la justicia podía faltar a los
Dominicos, que con sus contratos de arrendamiento y veinti-
nueve datos probaban su derecho, ni los Padres se cansarían
en su empresa de remediar esa especie de comunismo socialista
que allí se dearrollaban con detrimento notable del prestigio
de la religión y de la pátria. = Mas éstas [sic] desahucios
de solares no producían resultado apetecido. Primero: por-
qué muchos, después de haber dejado las casas, volvían a
ocuparlas; segundo: porqué, aún los que no volvían a ocupar-
las, se refugiaban en otras casas del pueblo ó las levantaban
en otros sitios (lo cual aquí se hace en una semana o menos)
contra la voluntad de la Hacienda, que prohibe en los contratos
al subarriendo de solares sin permiso expreso y escrito del
Administrador de la misma. = Para evitar estos inconvenien-
tes, que venían a hacer completamente inútiles los desahucios
para befa y escarnio de la administración de justicia y de la
Corporación Dominicana, propietária, se acordó que los desahu-
cios verificados últimamente lo fuesen, con todo el rigor de la
sentencia, en la forma que ya queda dicho." = Que son los
nuevos contratos - La fórmula de contratos de arrendamiento
de terrenos y solares, redactada hace un año, de la que tal
vez ciertos Filipinos residentes en Europa hayan propalado
noticias exagerables y hasta calumniosas, no ha venido a hacerse
otra cosa que expresar y sancionar de modo mas solemne el
que venían practicando colonos y hacienda, en virtud del buen
acuerdo que antes reinaba y de la buena fé que por ambas
partes había. = "Siempre han existido los contratos de arren-
damiento, los mismo de campos que de solares: la Hacienda
la poseen los Dominicos desde 1833, como consta de escritura
pública con auto del Magistrado de Terrenos, informes y
aprobación del Gobierno General y Real Audiencia é Inten-
dencia del Estado. = A los Dominicos se les entregaron en

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 ARCILLA: THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 611

welcome than eject or penalize them.

"After the eviction of the Rizais, two other families
driven out, and then 3 or 4, and finally 12, proceeding
by step, slowly adding to the number of the accused, s
the people might see that their tricks did not succeed,
the law was on the side of the Dominicans who were able to
prove their title by the terms of the contract and 29 documents
in their possession. Nor would the fathers tire in their efforts
to put an end to this kind of socialistic communism taking
form there, to the great harm of religion and the fatherland.
"But these evictions did not obtain the desired result.
First, because many returned to their houses after abandoning
them. Second, because those who did not return, found
lodging in other houses of the town, or built new ones else-
where (and these are finished in a week or less), against
the will of the hacienda [owners] which forbids in the con-
tract sub-leasing of lots without written permission from the
administrator."

To avoid these difficulties because the measures of evic-

tion turned out to be totally useless, a mockery and an in-
sult to justice and the proprietor, the Dominican Order, it
was decided to effect the last cases of eviction in the manner
already described, that is, exactly according to the tenor of
the sentence.

The New Contracts

"The terms of the lease of lands and building lots, drawn

up a year ago, of which perhaps certain Filipinos residing in
Europe have spread exaggerated stories and lies, are nothing
more than a more formal expression and sanction of the usual
contract between the tenants and the estate, based on the
mutual respect and good faith of both parties as before.
There have always been contracts for fields and residences.
The Dominicans own the estate since 1833, as proven from the
public deeds authenticated by the Magistrate of Lands, the
reports signed by the Governor General, the Royal Audiencia
and the Intendant. They were granted perpetual ownership

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612 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

perpetua propiedad, con plenos podere

superficie, los terrenos y solares todos
según plano é inventario oficiales que le
= Desde entonces han venido verificándose los contratos de
arrendamiento rigoroso respecto a ambas cosas, al principio
con grandes formalidades, después en forma de contrata que
firmaba el inquilino y renovaba de tiempo en tiempo (cada
tres ó cuatro años) respecto a solares y terrenos. = "Entonces
se dirá ó como se permitió que se levantasen casas fuertes
con arraigo en los solares? Pues se permitió bajo las bases
y condiciones de arrendamiento, con la condición de que, si
los inquilinos cumplían las condiciones de arrendatarios los
propietarios no les molestarían en el uso de los solares; es
decir la táctica constante y en constante proceder de los
Dominicos es que los terrenos arrendados no dando motivo
para lo contrario pasasen de padres a hijos y que la corporación
dominicana así lo haría como há hecho siempre y seguirá
haciéndolo, por lo cual aquellos han edificado y han arraigado;
de modo que la base de estas edificaciones ha sido la con-
fianza que, como se vé, sin destruir el arrendamiento reinaba
entre ambas partes, colonos y propietarios." = "De aquí re-
sulta que como las casas de los colonos, aunque edificades en
su suelo ageno arrendado simplemente, eran suyas, han podido
hipotecarlas y venderlas, (éste último prévio consentimiento
de la Hacienda) y siempre teniendo en cuenta que nada del
suelo les pertenecía; la propiedad era y es lisa y llanamente,
lo edificado." = Estas y otras condiciones, que venían estando
en uso, son los que expresan en los actuales contratos. = "La
causa de que algunos se abstienen en no pagar, y sobre no
pagar sean hostiles a los Dominicos, consiste precisamente en
que ven por ahora se atan los cabos bien atados, en vista de

28 See Beatriz Hidalgo de Miranda The Administration of the

Dominican Ricelands: A Study of Socio-Economic Conditions , a term
paper submitted for the second semester of 1958-59 at the Ateneo de
Manila University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These titles

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 613

with full powers from the king, inclusive of the top-soil,

all the lands and residential areas of the town of Calamba,
following the official map and inventory provided them."28

Since then terms for both the fields and lots have been
drawn up, in the beginning with due formality and later in
the form of a simple agreement concerning the fields and lots,
which the tenant signed and renewed from time to time
(every 3 or 4 years).

And now the question is, how was it possible to erect

strong houses in the residential lots? Permission was granted
according to the conditions and stipulations of the contract,
that if the tenants fulfilled their part of the agreement, the
proprietors would not disturb them in their use of the lots.
This is to say, the unchanging plan or method of the Domi-
nicans was that, unless there was cause to the contrary, lands
on lease would pass from father to son, and the Dominican
Order would always act in the traditional manner it has
followed. And so, tenants have built houses and rooted them-
selves there. Thus, the basis of all these constructions has
been the mutual trust of the contracting parties, tenants and
owners, without, as one can see, voiding the lease.
"Hence it follows that since the tenants' houses built on
another's property which was merely rented belonged to the
builders, they could mortgage or sell them (with the previous
consent of the estate), but always remembering that no part
of the soil went with the transaction. What they built was
theirs, plain and simple."
These and the other conditions which have been observed
are contained in the present contracts.
"The reason why some refuse to pay, and, besides re-
fusing, are hostile to the Dominicans, is precisely that they
now see the ends of the string all tied up in a knot [i.e.,
they are now all caught in a fix] , in view of what is happening.

to the lands owned by the Dominican? are kept in the Dominican

Archives.

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614 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

lo que viene ocuriendo y en lo sucesi

Juzgado, arreglarse a triquiñuelas y es
antes bien detallados los contratos, les
= En una palabra, chillan, y se asustan los que no querían
[sic] cumplir; los buenos, los dóciles, nada dicen porqué
saben que contra ellos nada vá, pues portándose bien, todo
les será propicio con los Dominicos. = Para terminar recor-
daremos que la Orden Dominicana en Filipinas costea los
gastos de la Universidad de S [an] to Tomás, en Manila, y que,
si bien ésta fundación no se ha resentido de la campaña com-
prendida para que la Orden no percibiese sus rentas, de pro-
longarse tal situación, no hubiese sido posible cortar sus con-
secuencias. = "Carácter social y político de lo de Calamba =
El origen de la situación de Calamba coincide con la época en
que, para desdicha del país era Director Civil un fusionista
pletorico de popularidad y Gobernador de Manila un repub-
licano, Jefe de la Masonería de Filipinas, que tenía dadas
repetidas muestras de aversión profunda a los religiosos. Am-
bos creyeron hacer la felicidad de este Archipiélago democra-
tizándose hasta lo inconcebible; ¡aquí, en una colonia cuyas
razas indígenas conocen la distancia que de ellas a la del
Europeo existe!" = En tales circunstancias llegó a Filipinas
procedente de Alemania el Calambeño José Rizal, quien
reunió de seguida a lo más granado de su pueblo y entre
aquellas sencillas gentes divulgó con pertinaz insistencia ideas
rabiosamente opuestas a los Españoles, a los [sic] autoridades
y en particular a los religiosos, a ciencia y paciencia de
los que debieron impedir tales predicaciones. = "Para mayor
desgracia era Gobernador Civil de la Laguna en aquella sazón
y con carácter de interino, un democrata de abolengo grande
amigo y muy protegido de D [on] Manuel Becarra cuya poli-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 615

In the future, they will not be able to settle it in the court

by their tricks and alibis that the contracts had not been
clear, although they had used them to their full advantage."

In a word, they scream. Those who do not wish to abide

by the terms are frightened. The good, the docile say nothing
because there is no case against them; conducting themselves
properly in their dealings with the Dominicans, everything
will be in their favor.

"To conclude, we will recall that the Dominican Order in

the Philippines shoulders the expenses of the University of
Santo Tomás in Manila. Although this foundation has not
been affected by this campaign such that the Order was pre-
vented from collecting the rent, if the situation continues, it
would not be possible not to feel its effects."

The Socio-Political Character of the Affair

"The beginnings of the situation in Calamba are traceable
to the time when, unfortunately for the country, the Civil
Administrator was a political compromiser basking in popularity
and the Governor of Manila was a republican, the head of the
Masons in the Philippines, who had repeatedly given signs
of his strong dislike for the religious. Both had hoped to
bring about the prosperity of the archipelago by democratizing
it up to no one knows where - here in a colony where the
native races are aware of the distance separating them from
those of Europe."

In these circumstances, the Calambeño José Rizal re-

turned to the Philippines from Germany. Immediately he
grouped together the élite of his town and among the simple
people fanatically spread ideas violently against the Spaniards,
against the authorities, and particularly against the religious,
with the connivance of those who ought to have forbidden
such teachings. To add to the poison, the interim civil gover-
nor of Laguna was at the time a democrat because of his
family connections, a friend and protégé of Don Manuel Be-

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616 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

tica de asimilación ha traído a Filip

= Rizal ha inspirado entre sus pais
a la Religión Católica y sus más ade
toda práctica religiosa, cumpliendo en
que enseña en su novela "Noli me Tan
a los religiosos, desprestigiándolos y
son explotadores del indio de Calamba y otra porción
de cosas por el estilo, depresivas no ya para los Dominicos, sino
también para todas las demás comunidades, y nada digamos
de como pinta la raza expañola. Consta con los ante-
cesores de este ingrato filipino llegaron a Calamba de simples
aparceros, esto es, pobres punto menos que de solemnidad
fueron tomando terrenos, y, poco a poco en la Hacienda de
los Dominicos se crearon una fortuna. Pepe Rizal, cuantas
veces se há acercado a los Padres Dominicos a ofrecerles sus
servicios! . . . Cuantas responsabilidades tiene sobre si el ger-
manófilo, pues con sus teorias ha venido a producir mil dis-
gustos a muchos de sus paisanos! = "En Calamba no se habla
sino de los triunfos de Rizal, de sus promesas, de la acogida
que le dispensan los sabios (?) de Europa uno de ellos ese
gran maestro de filibusteros llamado Blumentritt; de sus viajes
por Alemania; de su poder y grandes influencias (!) en esa
nación; de que se vá a traer una escuadra alemania (!!) [sic];
de que él les há de dar a sus paisanos la propiedad de la
Hacienda de Calamba, de que allí se há de construir un gran
Estado, una República modelo .... En fin mil paparruchas que
tienen totalmente perturbadas a aquellas gentes de un modo tal,
que es ridículo y absurdo, pero exactísimo, que en Calamba
a los que siguen a Rizal se les apoda el partido de Alemania,
y a los que son leales a los Padres Dominicos se llama el partido
de los frailes." = Esta actitud de los Calambefios la aprueban
y aplauden y alientan los que en Manila, Bulacan, Batangas,
Pampanga, etc. son correspondientes de esa Asociación llamada
Hispano-Filipina que en Madrid existe; de suerte que Calamba
viene a ser punto de metralla de la integridad española-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAME A DEPORTATIONS 617

carra, whose policy of assimilation had caused serious uph

in the Philippines.
Rizal has inspired among his countrymen hatred for t
Catholic religion and his closest followers have given
their religious practices, fulfilling in this regard exactly
he teaches in his novel, Noli me tangere , nursing deep a
pathy for the religious, demeaning them and saying they
exploit the indio in Calamba, and many other remarks of the
kind, derogatory not only to the Dominicans but also to the
other religious communities, and we have not said anything
about how he paints the Spanish race.

It is known that the ancestors of this Filipino ingrate came

to Calamba as simple tenants, poor folk on the brink of destitu-
tion who rented lands, and little by little created their fortune
on the estate of the Dominicans. Pepe Rizal! How many times
has he approached the Dominican fathers offering his services!
What responsibilities has this Germanophile taken on himself,
now that his theories have succeeded in stirring up a thousand
dissatisfied among his countrymen!

"In Calamba all the talk is about RizaPs triumph, his

promises, the reception accorded him by the scholars in Europe,
one of them being the grand teacher of filibusterism, Blumen-
tritt; of his travels through Germany, of the power and wide
influence he exercised over that nation, of a German squadron
he will lead; of the lands he will give to his countrymen from
the Calamba estate, where a great state will rise, a model
republic .... In fine, a thousand crazy things which have
completely distuibed those people, so much so that in
Calamba - absurb or nonesense, but true - those who follow
Rizal are tagged as the German Party, and those who remain
loyal to the Dominicans are called the Friars' Party."

This stand of the Calambeños is approved, abetted and

fed by the corresponding members in Manila, Bulacan,
Batangas, Pampanga, etc. of the Fil-Hispanic Association
based in Madrid, such that Calamba has become the execu-
tioner's bloc of Fil-Hispanic integrity.

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618 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

filipina. = "El destierro de los 25 = Esta medida la ha

adoptado el General S [eño]r Weyler, según expediente formado
por el Coronel Olive a fin de cortar el mal que vá acudiendo
en ese pueblo y amenaza propagarse a los demás." = Los
desterrados en [sīc = es?] notorio que, en reuniones, en todas
partes de palabra, y por cuantos medios les era posible, hacían
tenaz campaña de oposición, no solo a los Dominicos, sino
también a la dominación de España en Filipinas. = "Tan
engañados tenían a muchos, que han provocado en Calamba un
estado parecido al de Antique con sus Babaylanes, y al de
Samar con sus dios-dioses." = De seguir las cosas como se-
guían, no hubiera tardado mucho tiempo en estallar una revo-
lución en todo el país, que tal vez hubiera podido poner en
grave peligro nuestro predominio. = En esta gravísima cues-
tión de Calamba que por espacio de dos años tanto dió que
hacer a nuestra Corporación, fué digno de elògio como en
otras muchas cosas el M[uy] R[everendo] P[adre] Fr[ay]
Paulino Valle, que nombrado Síndico General en el Capítulo
del 90, fué quien de oficio tuvo que intervenir en todos los
multiples y enojosos incidentes a que dió lugar un asunto
que, por no haberlo encausado bien desde el principio el
P[adre] Govea, Síndico General del 86 al 90, se convirtió
en un pleito en el que estando clarísimas la razón y la justicia
de nuestra parte, costó no poco trabajo ganarlo en todas sus
partes, primero en el Juzgado de S [an] ta Cruz de la Laguna,
luego en la Audiencia de Manila, y por último en el Tribunal
Supremo de Madrid a donde apelaron los rebeldes. No era
el P[adre] Paulino hombre de grandes conocimientos; pero
tenía otra cualidad muy apreciable que suplía esta falta,
sabía consultar a tiempo buscaba y aceptaba gustoso el ilus-
trado consejo que pudiera darle cualquiera de sus Hermanos
de hábito y jamás desdeñada [sic] el valioso concurso que
éstos pudieran prestarle, ya con sus amistades con abogados,
y Magistrados ya con su influencia cerca de las autoridades.
En este sentido le ayudó muchísimo, trabajando sin descanso,
el M[uy] R[everendo] P[adre] Fr[ay] Evaristo Fr.

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 619

The Exile of the Twenty-five

"General Weyler has adopted the measure following the
report penned by Colonel Olive, in order to stop the evil t
threatens that town and that threatens to spread to others
It is well known how the exiles, gathered all over the
place, by word and every means possible to them, formed a
strong body to oppose not only the Dominicans but also the
Spanish government in the Philippines.

"They have so deceived so many that in Calamba a

situation exists similar to that in Antique with its priests, and
to Samar with its false gods."

If things had been left to their own course, not much

time would have intervened before a revolution had broken
out all over the country, and endangered our sovereignty.

In this question of Calamba, which for two years had

caused co much trouble to our Order, credit is due principally
to Very Reverend Father Fray Paulino Valle. Appointed
Syndic during the Chapter of 1890, it fell to him to intervene
in all the annoying vexations and incidents resulting from the
case which, because it was not properly prosecuted from the
start by Father Govea, the Syndic from 1886 to 1890, has
ended as a lawsuit. And despite our evidently logical and just
approach, it cost us no little labor to win the case at all levels
- first, in the sala of Santa Cruz, Laguna, then before the
Audiencia in Manila, and finally before the Supreme Court
m Madrid, before whom the rebels made their appeal. Fray
Paulino was not a man of wide knowledge; but he had an-
other precious quality which compensated for this lack. He
knew when to consult, he sought and gladly accepted the
enlightened advice which any of his brothers in the habit
could offer, and he never disdained the courageous support
given him, either because of his friendship with lawyers and
magistrates, or because of his influence among the authorities.
In this sense, the Very Reverend Evaristo Arias, then Prior

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 620 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

[sic] Arias que a la sazón era Prior de S [an] to Domingo.

Justo es que el Cronista consigue también con merecido elògio
el nombre del P[adre] Arias en este lugar.

III

Con motivo también del día del Santo de S[u] M[ajestad]

el Rey publicó en la Gaceta el siguiente Decreto: "Manila
23 de enero de 1892 - Deseando solemnizar el santo de S[u]
M[ajestad] el Rey D [on] Alfonso XIII (q[ue] D [ios]
g[uarde]) con un acto de clemencia en favor de los que, por
determinadas faltas han merecido el severo castigo de la
deportación y llevar de este modo el consuelo a numerosas fami-
lias afligidas; teniendo en cuenta el tiempo prolongado que
llevan sufriendo aquella pena extraordinaria, la conducta
observada y la naturaleza de los hechos que la motivaron;
en uso de las facultades de que me hallo investido, vengo en
indultar de la expresada pena de deportación, a los individuos
que la sufren comprendidos en la siguiente relación que
oportunamente se remitirá a los jefes de las colonias en que
la extinguen." Los que figuran en la citada relación son
sesenta y seis Filipinos deportados en tiempo de Terrero y de
Weyler por filibusteros y revoltosos la mayor parte de ellos,
y otros por públicamente amancebados, jugadores y tulisanes.
También es de adverir que en esa lista figuran unos catorce a
quince de los más malos de Calamba deportados por Weyler
como medio absolutamente necesario para restablecer la paz
y tranquilidad en aquel pueblo. Como la mayor parte de esta
mala gente de Calamba había sido lanzada por sentencia
judicial de los terrenos y solares nuestros que llevaban en
arrendamiento por haberse negado a pagar el Canon, y como
los dichos terrenos y solares ya se habían dado en arrendamien-
to a otros indios mejores; el General Despujol antes de dar
el trascrito Decreto de indulto indicó a nuestro P[adre] Lucio

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 621

of Santo Domingo, was a great help in his untiring efforts

It is right that the chronicler should include the name of
Father Arias here.

Ill

On the occasion of his Saint's day, His Majesty, the King

published the following decree in the Gazette:
"Manila, 23 January 1892.
"Desirous of solemnizing the Saint's day of His Majesty,
King Alfonso XIII (may God preserve him!) with an act of
mercy towards those who for definite crimes have merited
the rigorous penalty of exile and in this way bring consolation
to so many afflicted families;

"Keeping in mind the long period during which they

have suffered that extraordinary penalty, their known conduct
during their exile, and the nature of the case which has
motivated their separation;
"By the powers vested in me, I have decided to free from
the said penalty the individuals subject to it whose names
are included in the following dispatch which in due time will
be sent to the heads of the colonies to nullify."
Sixty-six Filipinos were included in this particular dis-
patch. They had been deported in the time of Terrero and
Weyler most of them for filibusterism and rebellion and others
for public scandal, gambling and robbery. In the list were some
14 or 15 names of the worst elements of Calamba deported by
Weyler as the means absolutely necessary to restore peace and
order in that town. The greater number of those criminals from
Calamba had been evicted by court order for refusal to pay
rent for the lands and residential lots they held on lease from
us. These lands have now been leased to the more faithful
indios. Before releasing a copy of the induit, General Des-
pujol suggested to Father Lucio [Asencio, O.P.] (then the

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622 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

[Asensio, O.P.] (que haría entonces las

y al P[adre] Arias Prior de Santo Domin
el indulto para aquellos deportados perd
poración generosamente las ofensas y da
sufrido y que así lo hacía constar en el
añadiendo que si no le pedían él los indult
que además creía el que sería muy honro
poración el que de nuevo se les dieran ter
consecuencia de todo esto, nuestra Corp
remedio que pedir el indulto para tod
quiso limitándose a indicarle los que a juicio de la misma
Corporación habían sido algo menos culpables. En cuanto a
darles terrenos y solares, se le dijo que eso dependía de la
conducta y compartamiento [sic] que ellos observasen. En
esto mostró quedar satisfecho el General, pero no cumplió su
palabra de hacer constar en la Gaceta petición de indulto
hecha por nuestra Corporación.

Provincia del Santísimo Rosario de Filipinas de la Orden

de Predicadores. =Exc[elentísi]mo S[eño]r Gobernador Gene-
ral, Vice-Real Patrono de estas Islas. = Elevar su voz ante las
dignas autoridades del Archipiélago pidiendo perdón é indul-
gencia para los desgraciados, a quienes lamentables extravios
han hecho merecer los rigores de la justicia, gratísimo fué
siempre a las Corporaciones Religiosas de Filipinas, y ha sido
constante y muy amada práctica de la Provincia del Santísimo
Rosario de P [adres] Dominicos, cuyo nombre tiene la honra
de llevar el que suscribe. Arrancar víctimas al patíbulo, a las
cárceles, al ostracismo, llevando el consuelo a las familias y con-
virtiendo quizás en miembro útil a la sociedad al antes per-
nicioso y díscolo, la más alta Política lo aconseja, los sentimien-
tos de la humanidad lo reclaman y la religión católica que todos

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 623

Provincial) and to Father Arias, Prior of Santo Domingo

that a request be made for the pardon of those exiles and,
in the name of the Order, generously forgive the offen
and damages which the Order has sustained. The General
said that he would make it appear in the decree that the
move to pardon them had been initiated by our Order, and,
since it would redound greatly to the reputation of our
Dominican Order, the exiles should be again offered lands
and residential lots for lease. The Order, in view of all this,
had no other recourse but to present a petition for pardon
as the General wanted, but limiting the induit to include
only those who in the judgment of the Order had been less
guilty. With regards to leasing lands and residential lots to
them, he was informed that this depended on the behavior
and conduct of the exiles. The General expressed satisfaction;
but he did not keep his word to show in the Gazette that
the petition for an induit had been made by our Order.

* * *

Province of the Mos

Order of Preachers

Your Excellency, the Governor General and Vice-Patron of

these Islands:

It has been the pleasant task of the religious orders in

the Philippines to raise our voice before the worthy Authori-
ties of the Archipelago, in supplication for an induit of mercy
on behalf of the unfortunate, whom justice has made the
victims of her impartiality. The same has been the constant
and cherished task of the Dominican Province of the Most
Holy Rosary, whose name the undersigned is honored to bear.
To free victims from the gibbet, from prisons, from ostracism;
to bring consolation to families, transforming perchance into
a useful member of Society one who was formerly a danger
and a rebel: this the highest political wisdom advices, the
human heart urges, the Catholic religion which to our own

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624 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

por bien nuestro profesamos lo aplaude y

tiendo al que entrañas de caridad manifi
bienes sin cuento, que en esta vida no par
den los umbrales del sepulcro. Cierto
conservación de los intereses a la tutela del Gobierno encomen-
dados, exige medidas represivas, que en todo evento y sin
consideraciones de otra indole, garanticen el derecho en sus
varias manifestaciones, y muy especialmente en las que de cerca
atañen al bien social de los pueblos, castigando con mano dura
a los que no respetan la propiedad en sus bases fundamentales,
ó la Religión, suprema ley divina y humana perturban, ó con-
tra las Instituciones del Estado, en forma más ó menos osten-
sible conspiran; pero tampoco debe echarse en olvido que
ese sagrado deber de defensa tiene sus naturales y legítimas
limitaciones en la práctica, siempre que dejando a salvo las
prescripciones ineludibles de la justicia y del derecho, permita
ejercer las nobles funciones de la clemencia, excelso atributo
de la soberania, la que al castigar los delitos, no prescinde
del carácter paternal, que por su esencia reviste todo poder
legítimo entre los hombres: y si al delincuente, al infractor
de sus obligaciones aplica el rigor de las leyes penales, mira prin-
cipalmente a su corrección y enmienda, al saludable escarmien-
to de los demás, y a consolidar en el seno de los pueblos, por
medio de la coacción jurídica, el respeto a las instituciones
sociales. Recientemente, en el pueblo de Calamba, Provincia
de la Laguna, sujeto a la administración espiritual de la Orden
Dominicana, la Autoridad suprema de las Islas se ha visto
obligada, en cumplimiento de altísimos deberes de su
cargo, a adoptar una medida extraordinaria, deportando
al distrito de Joló, a más de veinte individuos que, según
expediente resultaban acreedores a ese riguroso castigo. No
entra en los propositos del Provincial de Santo Domingo
examinar la gravedad y trascendencia de la situación
del pueblo de Calamba, las causas más ó menos profundas
que a ello dieron origen, ni mucho menos el carácter del
malestar que en esa población se sentía; solo dirá que la ejecu-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 625

good we all profess holds in high regard and deems

good, holding out promises to one who opens the heart of
kindness to his brothers, promises of good without end, pro-
mises that do not cease with life, but transcend the shadows
of the grave. No doubt the defense and the care of interests
entrusted to the Government demand the means of repression
in all situations regardless of other considerations, for these
guarantee the [rule of] law in all its manifestations. This is
especially true in affairs that pertain to the common weal of
the people. The law punishes with a heavy hand those who
do not respect the basic presuppositions of property or the
disturbers of religion which is the supreme human or divine
law, or those who conspire more or less openly against the
institutions of the State. But neither should it be set aside
in oblivion that there are natural and legitimate limits in the
exercise of this sacred duty of defense. Ever safeguarding the
inescapable prescriptions of justice and law, it allows the
noble exercise of mercy, that priceless quality of sovereignty,
which in the punishment of crime does not divest itself of its
paternal character, an essential attribute of every legal power
among men. And if the delinquent, the negligent in one's
duties is made to feel the rigor of penal law, it seeks princi-
pally the correction and the reformation, the salutary warning
of the others and the upholding, in the midst of the people,
of the respect for social institutions by juridical sanctions.
Recently in the town of Calamba, Laguna, a town under the
spiritual care of the Dominicans, the Supreme Authority in
the Islands was obliged to adopt an extraordinary measure
in the fulfillment of the responsibilities of its high office. De-
ported to Jolo were more than 20 persons who, according to
the minutes [of the case], deserved this severe sentence.
It is not the purpose of the Dominican Provincial to
question the seriousness or the gravity of the situation in the
town of Calamba, the causes, more or less serious, that origin-
ated it, much less the upheaval that was felt in that town.
He will say only that the execution of the decree of exile,

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626 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

ción del decreto de destierro, como era na

honda y amarguísima pena en las familias
algunas de las cuales han acudido al Reli
rroco de aquella población, pidiéndole con lágrimas en los
ojos consuelo a tan acerbo dolor, y remedio a situación tan
aflictiva. El Párroco ha respondido a las súplicas de sus feli-
greses, y ha pedido desde un principio a su prelado Regular
interpusiera sus ruegos cerca del Gobierno General de estas
Islas en demanda de conmiseración para los que en Joló sufren
la pena condigna a su proceder insensato. El Superior
de P [adres] Dominicos, animado de los mismos sentimientos
que su subordinado el celoso Párroco de Calamba, verbalmente
los significó ya a V[uestra] E[xcelencia] en el próximo pasado
mes de enero, atreviéndose hoy a manifestarlos, reiterándolos en
este escrito; y sin prejuzgar si los deportados están ó no sufi-
cientemente arrepentidos de su conducta pasada, sin mirar si
con el tiempo que llevan sufriendo su condena están ó no satis-
fechas las exigencias de la justicia y del buen gobierno, sin
prestar atención a temores de peligros para lo porvenir, solo
escucha hoy los gritos de su corazón cristiano y religioso,
solo atiende a las inspiraciones de la caridad y de la
clemencia, y fijos los ojos en la constante y no interrum-
pida tradición de su Provincia, que a sus administrados como
a hijos ha tratado siempre, y como a tales amparado y defen-
dido, pide y suplica a V [uestra] E[xcelencia] con la solem-
nidad y eficacia que acto tan noble reclama, otorgue perdón
é indulgencia a los individuos de Calamba deportados poco há
a la plaza de Joló, concediéndoles indulto generoso de la pena
que sufren, en el caso de que el ilustrado y recto criterio de
V[uestra] E [xcelencia] , apreciando en su justo valor todas las
circunstancias, no vea inconveniente alguno en ese acto de clem-
encia y generosidad. De, Exc[elentísi]mo S[eño]r, en esta
ocasión, muestra gallarda de los sentimientos de bondad y de
cariño que su magnánimo corazón alberga hacia los habitantes
de Filipinas; manifiésteles una vez más que la noble España
que los engendró a la Fé y a la cristiana civilización, hijos

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 627

as was natural, has caused deep and bitter suffering to t

families of the deportees. Some of them have besought
Dominican missionary who is the parish priest of that locali
begging with tears in their eyes for consolation in such a pa
ful plight and a remedy to such a sorrowful situation. The
parish priest has responded to the appeal of his faithful, an
since the beginning, has requested his religious Superior to
tercede with his voice before the Governor General of these
lands, and ask mercy for those who in Jolo suffer the j
penalty of their senseless actions. The Superior of the Dom
nicans, filled with the same sentiments as his subject the zealou
pastor of Calamba, signified it verbally to Your Excellen
last January. Now he dares to recall it and repeat the sa
in writing. Without prejudging whether the exiles are s
ficiently repentant of their past conduct or not; without askin
whether with the time that they are undergoing their pena
the demands of justice and of good government are satisfi
or not; without attending to the risk of future danger, th
Provincial listens today only to the inspiration of charity a
mercy. With his mind fixed on the constant and unbrok
tradition of his Province which has always treated its s
jects as sons to be helped and defended, the Superior o
the Dominican Order asks and begs Your Excellency wi
the formality and urgency that such a noble act demands,
grant pardon and grace to the individuals recently deporte
from Calamba to the town of Jolo. Grant them a merciful
surcease from the penalty they suffer, hoping that the en
lightened and correct judgment of Your Excellency, viewin
in all their true weight all the circumstances, sees no inco
venience in this act of clemency and magnanimity.

On this occasion, most excellent Lord, give shining pro

of your good feelings and the affections nestling in your he
towards the natives of the Philippines. Show them once
more that Spain who has given them life in the Faith and
opened them to Christian civilization, wants her sons united

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628 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

quiere a ella unidos por los vínculos de

que por tantos y tan renombrados títulos tiene con exceso
merecidos; que las Ordenes Religiosas que lo evangelizaron y
con éxito defendieron aquí y en la Corte en tantas ocasiones,
contra atropellos é injusticias, siguen y seguirán siendo sus
constantes é incansables defensores; que el respeto a la Re-
ligión y a la Pátria, y la obediencia a sus preceptos, serán los
que una vez vueltos del destierro, les harán felices y útiles a
si propios y a sus semesjantes. El Cielo prolongue los dias de
V[uestra] E[xcelencia] para hacer muchas obras de caridad y
clemencia, para el feliz y próspero gobierno de este Archipié-
lago, y para la consecución de los santos y patrióticos ideales
confiados al celo y prudencia de ese Gobierno General, re-
presentante en este país de los altos Poderes de la Pátria.
= Manila 7 de marzo de 1892 = Exc[elentísi]mo S[eño]r.
- Fr[ay] Lucio Asencio [, O.P.]

Gobierno General de Filipinas = Secretaria = Sección Ia

He recibido la tan razonada como magnánima y elocuente
solicitud de V[uestra] R[everencia] en la que no oyendo otros
sentimientos que los de la más generosa caridad, en nombre de
las familias de los desterrados de Calamba, en el del celoso Pá-
rroco de esa misma feligresía, y en el de la muy distinguida
Corporación Dominicana a la que dignamente preside
V[uestra] R [everencia] suplica gracia é indulto en favor de
los individuos del indicado pueblo, a quienes este Gobierno
General se vió en el triste deber de deportar a la plaza de
Joló por Decreto de 13 de noviembre pasado. Gratísimo sobre-
manera me sería acceder en toda su amplitud a la generosa
petición de V[uestra] R [everencia] ejercer la noble prerróga-

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 629

to her in ties of gratitude and love due her for so many a

so well known reasons. [Prove] that the religious orders whi
brought them the gospel and successfully defended them
against attacks and injustices on so many occasions here an
in the Courts, continue and will continue to be their consta
and tireless advocates. [Teach them] that once they are
back from exile, it will be respect for religion and for the
fatherland, and obedience to its laws that will make them
happy and useful [citizens] for their own good and that of
their peers.

May Heaven lengthen the days of Your Excellency for

deeds of charity and mercy, for the happy and prosperous
government of this archipelago, and for the realization of the
holy and patriotic ideals entrusted to the zeal and prudence
of this general government, the representatives in this country
of the Superior Powers of the Fatherland. Manila, 7 March
1892 = His Excellency, the Governor. Fray Lucio Asencio
[,O.P.]

* * *

General Government
Office of the Secretar

I have received the v

and elocuent solicitud
ing other feelings tha
begs in the name of th
zealous pastor of that
minican Order which y
and grace for the ind
this General Governm
to the town of J olo
be exceedingly a pl
to your reverence's g

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630 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

tiva del indulto es para mi corazón l

facciones; y el otorgar en este caso dic
alguna me sería tanto más agradable c
Religiosa que lo solicita, es de las que
prestado al pais, por su celo evangéli
sus constantes y gloriosos afanes para
por sus trabajos y sacrificios en favor
incondicional apoyo a las Autoridade
Pero las mismas graves consideraciones que ya en enero
último me impidieron acceder a la primera indicación de
V[uestra] R[everencia] me obligan hoy también a moderar
un tanto los impulsos de la clemencia, concediendo si desde
luego el indulto a la mayor parte de los deportados de Calam-
ba existentes hoy en Joló, pero excluyendo por ahora de dicha
gracia a cuatro deportados más comprometidos en aquellos
sucesos, según aparece en el expediente que al efecto mandó
instruir mi digno antecesor. Sirva esta restricción, una vez
para todas, de prueba fehaciente, a los ojos de V[uestra]
R[everencia], de la ínclita Orden Dominicana y de cuanto
por candor quizá ó por malicia, en lo sucesivo aparentasen
dudarlo, de que, no obstante mi profundo y creciente amor al
pueblo filipino, lo mismo en esta que en cualquiera otra ocasión
análoga, que, durante mi mando y contra todas mis esperanzas,
pudiera ocurrir, dispuesto estoy a cumplir sin vacilaciones ni
miramientos, todos los deberes, por penosos que sean, que la
Pátria impone a los Gobernadores Generales de Filipinas y a
corresponder fielmente a la confianza del Gobierno de S[u]
M[ajestad]. Dios gu[ard]e a Vfuestra] R[everencia] muchos
años. Manila 9 de Marzo de 1892. Eulógio Despujol.
= M[uy] R [everendo] P[adre] Provincial de Dominicos.

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 631

tive of granting an induit is of the greatest satisfaction to my

heart. And to grant in this instance this particular grace
without any qualification would be all the more pleasing to
me than to the Religious Order that requests it; it is one
of those which have rendered the greater services to the coun-
try by its evangelical zeal in the mission, its ceaseless and
praiseworthy efforts to spread education, its labors and sacri-
fices on behalf of the people and its unconditional support
of the authority of this archipelago. But the same serious
considerations that last January had already stopped me
from granting your reverence's first plea also oblige me to-
day to moderate somewhat the impulse o i mercy. I do
grant pardon to the majority of the deportees from Ca-
lamba now staying in Jolo, but I deny for the moment
the favor to four of them, the ones more involved in
those incidents according to the documents which my
worthy predecessor has caused to be drawn. Let this res-
triction be, once for all, indubitable proof in the eyes of your
reverence, in those of the renowned Dominican Order, and of
so many who sincerely until now have doubted, or maliciously
pretended to doubt that for the future, despite my deep and
increasing love for the Filipino people, now, as in any other
similar situation which might occur during my government
against all my hopes, I am ready to fulfill without hesitation
or fear, all the duties, painful though they be, which the
fatherland imposes on the Governor General of the Philip-
pines, and to live up faithfully to the confidence in me of the
government of His Majesty. God keep your reverence many
years. Manila, 9 March 1(892. Eulogio Despujol.
To the Very Reverend Father Provincial of the Dominicans.

T sjs *

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632 PHILIPPINE STUDIES

Provincia del S[antísi]mo Rosario de F

de Predicadores. = Exc[elentísi]mo S[efio]r = He recibido
la atentísima contestación de V[uestra] E[xcelencia] a la
solicitud que mi digno Vicario General durante mi ausencia
en la Península, elevó a VEuestra] E Excelencia] con fecha de
7 del coniente, y al acusarle recibo faltaría no solo a las
exigencias más rudimentarias de la cristiana cortesía, sino a
los deberes de justicia y gratitud, si no diere a V[uestra]
E [xcelencia] las más complidas gracias por el pronto y favo-
rable despacho que ha concedido a la petición de mi Orden,
llevando el consuelo a tantas familias, y otorgando vuelvan
libres a sus hogares la mayor parte de los que hoy sufren en
Joló el triste correctivo de la deportación. No son menos dé
agradecer las entusiastas frases de elògio que VEuestra]
E Excelencia] dedica a mi Corporación, frases, a las que, mi
Orden procurará con todo el ardor y ahinco de su misión reli-
giosa, hacerse digna ante Dios y ante los hombres, y muy
particularmente a los ojos de V[uestra] E Excelencia] en quien
se complace, y un gobernante recto y prudente, que cual
cumple a suma autoridad cristiana cuida de enderezar sus actos
todos, al cumplimiento de la justicia y a la consecución del
bien público en este Archipiélago. Y si bien no hemos tenido
la dicha de que a todos los deportados haya llegado la gracia
del indulto, en esa misma restricción hemos visto prácticamente
confirmada la idea concebida tiempo hace de la justificación y
entereza de ánimo de VEuestra] E Excelencia] por lo que atañe
a la conservación y defensa de los intereses religiosos y so-
ciales de estas Islas; y si hasta el presente no ha dudado mi
Orden un momento de hallar en VEuestra] E Excelencia] un
decidido protector y un amante patrono, mucho menos lo
dudará en lo sucesivo por lo que acontecerle pudiera eri el
ejercicio de su sagrado ministerio, y en la defensa de sus
legítimos derechos. Dios guEard]e a VEuestra] E Excelencia]
muchos años. = Manila 25 de marzo de 1892. ExcEelentísi]mo
S[eño]r. = FrEay] Santiago Paya, [O.P.] = Exc[elentísi]mo
SEeño]r Gobernador General de estas Islas.

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 ARCILLA : THE CALAMBA DEPORTATIONS 633

Province of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines of the

Order of Preachers. Most Excellent Lord: I have received Your
Excellency's most lepectful answer to the request which during
my journey to the Peninsula my worthy Vicar General has pre-
sented on the 7th of the present month. In acknowledging its
receipt, I would fail not only in the most elementary duties of
Christian courtesy but also in the demands of justice and grati-
tude if I do not thank Your Excellency for the prompt and favor-
able answer which Your Excellency has given to the petition of
my Order and bringing consolation to so many families,
guaranteeing the free return to their homes of the majority
of those who today suffer the sad penalty of exile in Jolo.
No less thanks are due to the enthusiastic words of praise
which Your Excellency dedicated to my Order, phrases which
my Order will endeavor, with zeal and ardor in their religious
mission, to be worthy of before God and men, but especially
before Your Excellency, to whom we are beholden, an upright
and prudent governor, careful in the exercise öf his Christian
authority, to direct all his actions to fulfill justice and achieve
the public good of the archipelago. Although we have not
had the joy of seeing all the deportees receive the grace of
pardon, in the very restriction itself of this favor, we have
seen practically confirmed our long-held esteem of the rectitude
and the magnanimity of soul of Your Excellency, in what
concerns the preservation and defense of the religious and
social interests of these islands. If until now toy Order has
not for one moment doubted of finding in Your Excellency a
dedicated and loving Patron, much less will it doubt it for the
future, by whatever might happen in the exercise of his sacred
duty, and in the defense of his legitimate rights. God keep
Your Excellency for many years. Manila, 25 March 1892.
Most Excellent Lord, Fray Santiago Paya, [O.P.] To His
Excellency the Governor General of these Islands.

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