The fourth city is that called Santisimo Nombre de Jesus; it is located in the island of Sebu, in the province of Bicayas or Pintados.  It was the first Spanish settlement and was founded by the adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first governor.  It is a fine seaport, whose water is very clear and deep, and capable of holding many vessels.  The city has an excellent stone fort, which mounts a considerable quantity of artillery, and which has its commandant and officers for the guard and defense of the port and of the city.  It is sufficiently garrisoned with regulars, and is under command of the alcalde-mayor, the military commander of the province, who lives in the city.  The settlement contains about two hundred Spanish inhabitants who live in houses of wood.  It has a cabildo, consisting of two alcaldes-in-ordinary, eight regidors, and an alguacil-mayor and his officers.  It has a bishop and his church, like those of other cities of these islands, without prebendaries. [190]

The city is provided with food by, and is a station for, the ships going from Maluco to Manila.  Through his Majesty’s concession they keep there a deep-draft merchant vessel, which generally leaves its port for Nueva Espana, laden with the merchandise of the products gathered in those provinces.  It has a monastery of Augustinian religious and a seminary of the Society of Jesus.

The town of Arevalo was founded on the island of Oton [Panay], during the term of Don Goncalo Ronquillo. [191] It contains about eighty Spanish inhabitants, and is located close to the sea.  It has a wooden fort, which mounts some artillery, and a monastery of the Order of St. Augustine; also a parish church, with its own vicar and secular priest.  This church belongs to the diocese of the Sebu bishopric.

It has a cabildo, consisting of alcaldes, regidors, and other officials.  There is one alcalde-mayor and military leader in those provinces.  The town is well supplied with all kinds of provisions, sold at very low rates.

The settlement of Villa Fernandina, [192] which was founded in the province of the Ilocos on the island of Luzon, is settled by Spaniards, but very few of them remain there.  It has a church, with its own vicar and secular priest.  Now no mention will be made of it, on account of what has been said.  The alcalde-mayor of the province resides there, and the town is situated in the diocese of the Cagayan bishopric.

From the earliest beginning of the conquest and pacification of the Filipinas Islands, the preaching of the holy gospel therein and the conversion of the natives to our holy Catholic faith were undertaken.  The first to set hand to this task were the religious of the Order of St. Augustine, who went there with the adelantado Legazpi in the fleet of discovery, and those of the same order who went afterward to labor in this work, and toiled therein with great fervor and zeal.  Thus, finding the harvest in good season, they gathered the first fruits of it, and converted and baptized many infidels throughout the said islands. [193]