The Past of PH Today: Felix Berenguer de Marquina, July 1, 1788

Felix Berenguer de Marquina, July 1, 1788

The Past of PH Today: Felix Berenguer de Marquina, July 1, 1788

	What
July 1, 1788	Arrived in Manila as Governor-general
	Made Manila an open port to all foreign commerce
	Manila and Cavite were fortified and the Spanish military force increased
	Marquina took much pains to have the obras pias honestly administered.
	During his term of office, a severe epidemic of smallpox was experienced in the Islands
	Gave large sums to the parish priests to relieve the poverty caused by the pestilence.
	He wrote the King in 1789 saying that "the continual warfare of the Moros was an evil without remedy".
	It is recorded that the terms of Basco (his predecessor) and Marquina's (in all, fifteen years), spent over 1,500,000 pesos fuertes in building and arming vessels to chastise the pirates.
	Proposed that Filipinas should be made a viceroyalty, and the viceroy be rendered independent of the Audiencia and of the religious orders.
Propose Reforms	The reform of the chief accountancy by limiting its exorbitant powers;
	The reform of the chief accountancy by limiting its exorbitant powers; The establishment of an acordado, or a sort of police, in the provinces, directed rather to intimidating and restraining criminals by means of vigilance than to punishing them with harshness and violence;
	The desirability of abolishing the odious monopolies on playing-cards and gunpowder; The transfer of the natives from the Batanes Islands to Cagayan, on account of the wretched condition of the former; and the advantage of occupying, in preference to the Batanes, the island of Mindoro - which was richer, and nearer to Manila, and at the time reduced to the utmost indigence by having been abandoned (by its inhabitants) and by the incursions of the Moros.
	Taking advantage of the eluvial gold deposit, so abundant in the country, from which was obtained no less than 200,000 pesos worth of gold a year;
However	Marquina was met with much trouble in his government, from "class interests" and from the ingratitude of those whom he had helped.
	He resigned his office in 1793 and returned to España "poor and disheartened".
	Was accused of selling offices through the agency of a woman.
	Suffered a hard residencia, and was not permitted to depart for España except by leaving a deposit of 50,000 pesos fuertes, with which to be responsible for the charges made against him. At Madrid, he was sentenced to pay 40,000 pesos.
	Marquina's successor was a military officer, Rafael Maria de Aguilar y Ponce de Leon who began his duties as Governor-general on September 1, 1793.

References:

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, volume 1, number 50, Emma Helen Blair, James Alexander Robertson, Edward Gaylord Bourne. University of Michigan Library, 2005.

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