What are the qualities of a good

researcher
Patience
Persistence
PERSPICAPACITY He or she must have the

patience to plod along through card

catalogues. The persistence to continue
searching despite discouraging and
misleading information and the perspicapacity
in recognizing leads which may lead to the
mother lode of information being sought

Knowledge of Spanish is
a must
The researcher must have more than adequate

knowledge of Philippine history and Spanish since

most of the archival documents are in Spanish
He must have good eyesight to decipher the
handwriting of the past and to read faded, inkcorroded pages
He must have sensitive hands to properly handle
delicate, brittle insect or time ravaged pages
Must have the humility to ask help from the chief
librarian or chief archivist if assistance is needed for
the clarification of doubts regarding the document at
hand. After all they are there to help

To assist the first time researcher the

following procedure is suggested:
Consult the partial list of archival holdings to

identify which bundles he would need to

request
List the bundle title and number
Check out the list of card catalogues which
correspond to the bundles identified. The
card catalogues contain summaries in
Spanish of each file contained in the bundle

Other available finding aids are the

following:
List of maps, plans and sketches
List of Hojas de Servicios
List of Testamentos
Patrocolo or notarial records listed by province

and by year
List of bound volumes of photocopied Spanish
documents
List of sketches, plans, blueprints of public works
(Obras Publicas) of buildings, bridges, etc.
Lists of available microfilms

Knowing the Spanish documents

It is important to know the structure and

development of the Spanish government in

the Philippines

The Colonial Government up to the

1800s
The highest official in the Philippines was the Governor

General
Royal orders were transmitted through the Consejo de
Indias which had legislative, executive and judicial powers
The Governor General was given the supreme power to
legislate on various matter subject to the will of the Crown
He was the Chief of the Army and the Navy with powers to
dispose land and sea forces.
He was also chief of Civil administration with the powers to
appoint and remove officials as he pleased
By rights of ecclesiastical patronage he was a Vice Royal
Patron (1581) with a great influence over ecclesiastical
matters

Too much concentration of power led to

the establishment of a Royal Audiencia
Its function was to check the powers of the

Governor General
It was an advisory body and the sala de real
acuerdo to give advice to the Governor
General either on its own initiative or upon
consultations on matters pertaining to diezmos
prediales (tithes on real estate), tierras
realengas or Crown lands, fondos de Agana
and others. The operational administration
were devolved on the Hacienda Publica

Local governments
Provinces were administered by the Alcaldes

Mayores in areas that were completely

pacified
Military areas were called corrigimientos
which were under politico-military governors
most of whom were military captains
appointed by the Governor General and to
him they owed direct responsibility for their
conduct in office

The towns were headed by Gobernadorcillos

The towns were divided into cabecerias or

barangay undr the leadership of the cabezas

de barangay
The gobernadorcillo and the cabeza de
barangay were honorary positions which were
filled by hereditary succession until the 18 th
century when elections were introduced a
certain fee was imposed on the holders of the
offices for the grant of honorary titles

Ayuntamiento de Manila
The Ayuntamiento de Manila formed the core of

the city government in the early Spanish period

This was composed of the center of action for
all public affairs.
It was composed of two alcaldes who exercised
the powers of judges of first instance with royal
jurisdiction
There were eight aldermen or regidores who
were later increased to twelve, a clerk and a
chief constable