Parochial church of Manila and number of souls under its direction.  Inside the walls of Manila there is only one Spanish parochial church, namely, the cathedral.  Hitherto it has had but one curate; and inasmuch as I found the curacy vacant, and thought it advisable for the better administration of the parishioners, I discussed with the governor the matter of having two.  He agreed to it, and consequently a proclamation was published and the appointments given by competition to two virtuous and learned clerics, who today serve in the said curacy.  In that parochial church are directed in confession two thousand four hundred Spaniards, both men and women, among whom are to be counted a few mestizos.  One thousand are male inhabitants and transients, eight hundred and sixteen regular soldiers, and five hundred and eighty-four women.  In the above number neither the religious, priests, nor children, are included.

Curacy of Indians and slaves inside Manila.  There is also one curate who has charge of the Indian natives of this city and the slaves and freedmen living within the city.  He ministers to about one thousand six hundred and forty Indians who make confession; and one thousand nine hundred and seventy slaves, among whom are some few freedmen.  Although that seems considerable for only one curate, he can comfortably take care of them, for the majority of them confess in the convents of St. Augustine, St. Francis, St. Dominic, the Augustinian Recollects, and the college of the Society of Jesus of this city.  The said Indians are ministered to, although with much inconvenience, in a chapel of the royal Spanish hospital, and are buried in the church or cemetery of the cathedral.  If your Majesty so wish, they can have a church of their own, and the expenses therefor can be secured from the royal treasury, as is done in the villages outside Manila, where tribute is collected, since they and the freedmen pay it to your Majesty.

Parochial church of Santiago, a suburb of Manila, and the souls cared for therein.  In the village of Bagumbaya, which is a suburb of this city, is the parochial church of Santiago, in charge of a beneficed secular priest.  There one hundred and fifty Spaniards (one hundred and twenty of whom are men), besides another hundred and fifty mestizos and freedmen, and four hundred Indians and slaves are ministered to.

Parochial church of the port of Cavite and the souls directed therein.  In the port of Cavite, three leguas from Manila, there is a parochial church in charge of a beneficed secular priest.  In it four hundred and thirty Spaniards are cared for; fifty of these are soldiers of the fort, fifty women, and all the others sailors, some of whom are mestizos.  The said beneficed priest also ministers to two thousand four hundred Indians and some slaves and people of various nations, who number about four hundred.  The religious of St. Francis, St. Dominic, the Society of Jesus, and the Augustinian Recollects, who own convents in the said port, assist him.