Diego de Salcedo

Diego de Salcedo
25th Governor-General of the Philippines
In office September 8, 1663 – September 28, 1668
Preceded by	Sabiniano Manrique de Lara
Succeeded by	Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz
Personal details
Born	Belgium
Died	Pacific Ocean
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Spain
Battles/wars	Eighty Years' War

Diego de Salcedo, a Spanish army officer during the Eighty Years' War, was the Governor-General of the Philippines from 1663 to 1668. He reinforced the army of the archipelago and promoted trade with America. In his participation during the Eighty Years' War, he was made Governor of Jülich after the Spanish victory at the Siege of Jülich in August 1621.

On December 2, 1661, King Philip IV appointed him as the new Governor-General of the Philippines. He sailed to New Spain before sailing for the Philippines. The galleon San José, however, was delayed in its voyage from Manila until 1662, and docked in Acapulco in 1663. Salcedo was forced to sail on March 25, 1663.

Aboard the ship with Salcedo were 11 Augustinian friars bound for the Philippines. One of them was José de Paternina Samaniego, appointed commissioner of the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

Due to the rainy season, Salcedo did not land in Leyte, which was the usual landing place. Instead, he was brought up North, to Cape Engaño. He reached Manila in September 1663. In a letter written by Salcedo to his friend Francisco Yzquierdo in 1664, Salcedo mentioned the situation of the Philippines. In the letter, Salcedo stated that the treasury only had 35,000 pesos. The Spanish in the archipelago were tired of the many rebellions in North Luzon, and the soldiers have not received any pay.

Trade in the Philippines was dull so Salcedo tried reviving Philippine trade by sending envoys to Indonesia and Thailand for negotiations on trade status.

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Wikipedia