Spanish attempts to consolidate their power in the Philippines: Moluco, Matheo, and the Isla del Norte, 1605-1653

Abstract

The objective of this article is to challenge the supposed ascendency of the Spanish throughout the Philippines, an idea which has long been popular abstracts despite the fact that this is not supported by evidence from the entire archipelago. In reality, the Spanish struggled to sustain their presence, focusing most of their attention on the maintenance of the possessions over which they already enjoyed dominance at the beginning of the century. Some attempts were made, however, to establish new settlements in the first half of the 17th century, similar to those in Manila and Cavite that had been founded previously. Such expansionist policies combined with plans to expand into Moluco, Eastern Asia, and the coast of China.