CHAPTER V

Summary

Of the Government of Gomez Perez Dasmariñas; and of the Licentiate Pedro de Rojas, who at his death was elected to the government by the city of Manila, until Don Luis Dasmariñas was received instead of Gomez Perez, his father.

As soon as Gomez Perez Dasmariñas arrived at the Philippines, he was received as governor, to the general satisfaction. He abolished the Audiencia, and filled the offices of president, auditors and fiscal and other ministers of the court, by means of the Licenciate Herver del Coral, whom the Viceroy Don Luys de Velasco sent for this purpose, in virtue of a royal order which he held. The new governor commenced his rule, establishing the camp of paid soldiers, and putting into execution various matters for which he had royal orders and instructions with much heat and zeal, without excusing himself from any kind of labour, or care for his own self. The first thing which he began was to wall the town, and he took it up so much in earnest, that he left it almost completed before he died: he also built a battery on the point of Manila, where there used to be the old fort of wood, and he named it Santiago, and supplied it with some artillery; he levelled the fort of our Lady of Guidance, which his predecessor had built; he constructed with stone the cathedral church of Manila, and encouraged the inhabitants of the city to persevere in building their houses of stone, which work they had set about a few days before, the bishop having set the example in his own case.