The Establishment of the Dominican Presence (1581-1631) in the Period of the First Evangelization of the Philippines

The Dominican Mission in the Philippines has many facets in its establishment, animated by its first missionaries: from an arduous fighter for justice to a zealous preacher of the faith to a caring father to his spiritual children, among others. This article presents an overview of the first fifty years of the Dominican presence in the Philippines (1581-1631). It situates the mission as a response to the call of preaching, which the Dominicans hold as their dutiful task in the Church. While the Dominicans officially started their missionary works in 1587, the study traces the development of the Dominican Mission from the arrival of the first Bishop of the Philippines and one of the first two Dominicans who set foot on the Philippine soil, Fray Domingo de Salazar. It specifically focuses on his stand on the state of affairs during the early years of the Spanish colonization of the islands, particularly on the issues of injustices. Thereafter, the study addresses the questions about the birth of the Dominican missionary Province of the Holy Rosary, i.e. how it came about, who the first missionaries were, where the Dominicans’ first mission stations in the Philippines were, etc. It gives particular attention to the Dominican pastoral labors during this period. It further indicates how the missionaries’ renewed zeal and devoted practice of the religious life readied them to persevere in their precarious task of preaching the Gospel in hostile territories and endure the uncertainties of their circumstances.