European Migration to the Philippines in the Seventeenth Century: A Demographic Evaluation of a Migratory Flow

In the XVII century, the population of the Spanish Philippines diminished dramatically due to a number of political and social factors. There were frequent attacks of Dutch and English vessels on the port of Manila, and there were rebellions among the sangleyes (the Chinese community of Manila). At the same time, it was necessary to organize military expeditions to the island of Mindanao, where the predominantly Muslim population wanted to free itself from Spanish domination, as well as to the Molucas, where Spaniards challenged Dutch troops over dominion of the lucrative Spice trade. These particular political and social circumstances naturally shaped the demographics of the migratory flow to the Philippine Islands. The main stream of migration to Manila came from the viceroyalty of New Spain. It was dominated by military groups ( compañias de soldados), missionaries and convicts banned from Mexico to the Philippine Islands. Also, there is much evidence at the Archivo General de la Nación in Mexico City regarding the presence of European protestant sailors and soldiers who settled down in Manila after reconciliating secretly with Catholicism through a Commissary of the Inquisition at Manila. Moreover, there was a small volume of migration from Spain to the Philippine Islands dominated by friars and single men, who embarked at Seville as servants of passengers with a licencia (license) to go to the Philippine Islands. These demographical elements contributed to a creation of a unique colonial society in Manila in the XVII century. It functioned as an entrepot (connecting point) in the lucrative silver trade between Mexico and the Chinese Empire and as a military colony that defended Spanish imperial interests in Asia. As such, this paper discusses demographic patterns in term of Spain's colonial efforts in the far reaches of its empire.