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.
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