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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-26/simon-de-anda.avif" alt="Simon de Anda" loading="lazy" />
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(Simon de Anda y Salazar)
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<h2>
Early Life and Education in the Basque Country
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<p>
His early education reflected the limited opportunities available in rural Basque Country. He learned basic literacy in neighboring schools at Morillo and Salinas de Añana, and studied philosophy at a Dominican convent in Vitoria. Though he received the tonsure in 1728 from the bishop of Calahorra and initially wore the habit of Santo Domingo, he ultimately abandoned the religious path. Instead, with financial support of 300 ducats yearly from his uncle Martin Perez de Anda, then governor of the island of Trinidad, young Simon moved to Madrid to pursue higher education.
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<p>
At the prestigious University of Alcalá, Anda immersed himself in legal studies for thirteen years, earning impressive credentials: master of philosophy, bachelor, licentiate, and doctor of laws. It was here that he absorbed the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment that were finally crossing the Pyrenees into Spain. He co-founded the Academia de Santa Maria de la Regla, dedicated to advancing the study of law - reflecting the period's enthusiasm for societies and clubs devoted to reform and progress.
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<h2>
From Madrid Lawyer to Manila Magistrate
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For nearly fourteen years, Anda practiced law in Madrid, apparently with considerable success. He married a woman from his native province and had four children, though only two survived to adulthood: Joaquina, who would later become abbess of the convent at Covarrubias del Monte, and Tomás, who would share his father's colorful adventures and serve as a naval captain. His legal reputation eventually reached the royal court, and on October 18, 1755, King <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_VI" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="norferrer">Ferdinand VI</a> appointed him <i>oidor supernumerario</i> (supernumerary judge) of the Royal Audiencia of Manila at a salary of 2,000 pesos annually.
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<p>
The journey to his new post was lengthy. Anda did not leave Spain until June 30, 1760, spending a pleasant sojourn in Mexico from September 1760 through April 8, 1761, before finally disembarking at the port of Cavite on July 14, 1761. He was inducted into office in Manila a week later, taking his place alongside fellow <i>oidores</i> Francisco Enriquez de Villacorta and Manuel Galban y Ventura - men with whom he would later have complicated political relationships.
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<h2>
The British Invasion and the Flight to Bacolor
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Anda had barely adjusted to his new tropical environment when events of global significance reached Philippine shores. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years%27_War" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Seven Years' War</a> (1756-1763) had engulfed Europe, and when Spain entered the conflict on France's side in January 1762, the Philippines suddenly became a strategic target. The British <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">East India Company</a>, having recently captured the French stronghold of Pondicherry in India, now set its sights on Manila - Spain's "pearl of the Orient" and gateway to the lucrative China trade.
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<p>
On <time datetime="1762-09-23">September 23, 1762</time>, a powerful British fleet of thirteen ships carrying 2,300 combatants sailed into Manila Bay under the command of Brigadier-General <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3275/general-william-draper-british-conquest-of-manila-in-1762" class="news_link">William Draper</a> and Rear Admiral <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Samuel_Cornish,_1st_Baronet" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Samuel Cornish</a>. The Spanish defenders numbered only 556 regulars and 50 Filipino artillery men. The acting Governor-General, Archbishop Manuel Antonio <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/2997/governor-general-manuel-rojo-del-r-o-was-born-on-september-24-1708-in-tula-mexico" class="news_link">Rojo del Rio y Vieyra</a> - a prelate with no military training who had assumed office only because the designated governor had not yet arrived - proved completely unprepared for the crisis.
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<p>
During hastily convened councils of war, Archbishop Rojo made two crucial decisions that would shape the coming conflict. First, he ordered the evacuation of 200,000 pesos from the government treasury to a safer location inland - funds that would eventually finance the resistance movement. Second, he appointed Anda as lieutenant governor and <i>visitador general</i> with instructions to rally provincial support against the invaders. Anda later acknowledged that this appointment was "simply a matter of protocol" and reflected no recognition of his leadership capacity; as the junior <i>oidor</i>, he was simply "the most expendable" since Spaniards generally disliked leaving the comforts of the city.
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<p>
After two weeks of heavy bombardment that reduced parts of <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3008/the-history-of-intramuros-the-walled-city-manila" class="news_link">Intramuros</a> to rubble, the British breached the walls at the bastion of San Diego on October 4, 1762, meeting little resistance. The night before the city's fall, as Archbishop Rojo prepared to surrender, Anda made his fateful escape. Slipping through the postern gate of Our Lady of Solitude, he reached a boat on the Pasig River and headed toward the provincial town of Bulacan, taking with him substantial portions of the treasury and official government records.
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<p>
From Bulacan, Anda quickly moved his headquarters to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacolor" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Bacolor, Pampanga</a> province, a more secure location that enjoyed strong support from the powerful Augustinian order. On October 8, 1762, Anda wrote to Archbishop Rojo informing him that under the statutes of the Council of the Indies - which allowed for the devolution of authority from the Governor to the Audiencia in cases of riot or foreign invasion - he was assuming the position of Governor and Captain-General. As the highest-ranking member of the Audiencia not under British control, Anda claimed all governmental powers and demanded the royal seal. Rojo refused to surrender it and declined to recognize Anda as Governor-General, setting the stage for a bitter rivalry that would last until the Archbishop's death.
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<h2>
The Government in Exile: Bacolor as Capital
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For nearly two years, from October 1762 to March 1764, the small town of Bacolor became the provisional capital of the Spanish Philippines. What Anda accomplished during this period remains one of the most remarkable episodes in Philippine colonial history. Starting with a modest budget of just 500 pesos and lacking any military training - he would later confess his ignorance of military affairs - the 54-year-old magistrate organized a resistance movement that would frustrate British ambitions throughout the archipelago.
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<p>
Through tireless work and an domineering attitude tempered with considerable resourcefulness and tenacious fighting spirit, Anda not only secured the loyalty and cooperation of all the provinces but also coordinated the country's resources to put the colony on a war footing. His government in exile received a tremendous boost when the incoming <i>galleon Filipino</i> arrived with nearly three million pesos, narrowly escaping British capture. With these funds, Anda expanded his forces and established improvised factories to manufacture weapons and ammunition.
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<p>
By early 1764, Anda commanded an impressive army of approximately 10,000 men, including more than 200 French mercenaries who had deserted from the British, some Malabar guards, 600 Spanish regulars, and thousands of Filipino volunteers who fought with remarkable loyalty. Though they lacked sufficient muskets, these forces proved devastatingly effective in confining the British to Manila and Cavite - a mere 25 square miles of territory.
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<p>
Anda's strategy centered on isolating the British garrison and cutting off its supplies. Since Manila had always depended on the provinces for subsistence, he intercepted the flow of staple foods into the capital, forcing the British to conduct dangerous foraging expeditions beyond their defensive perimeter. A Spanish priest observed in December 1762 that there was "no beef in the butcher shop, not even for the English governor". The intense summer heat, tropical diseases, drunkenness, and widespread desertion - especially among French mercenaries - reduced British manpower from over 2,000 to slightly more than 1,000 by the time news of the Treaty of Paris reached Manila.
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<p>
The resistance also weathered internal challenges. When several top-ranking Spanish officials escaped from Manila and reached Bacolor in early 1763, including <i>oidores</i> Villacorta and Galban, political intrigues developed. Villacorta, as the senior member of the Audiencia, coveted the position of chief executive, while Galban preferred Bishop Manuel de Ustariz of Nueva Segovia. The friars divided in their preferences, but fortunately nothing came of these plots during the crisis.
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<p>
More serious was Anda's ongoing conflict with Archbishop Rojo. The British, having captured the Archbishop along with other Spanish officials, pressured him to order Anda's surrender. Under duress, Rojo signed documents surrendering the Philippines to the British Crown and commanded Anda to submit to British authority. Anda refused, arguing that any agreements signed under duress were invalid according to the statutes of the Council of the Indies. He returned unopened all letters from the British that did not address him as the legitimate Governor-General of the Philippines.
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<p>
In retaliation, British authorities declared Anda a traitor and offered a reward of 5,000 pesos for his capture. With characteristic boldness, Anda countered by offering 10,000 pesos for each member of the British governing council, "dead or alive". The bitter dispute between Anda and Rojo might have erupted into civil war had the Archbishop not died on January 30, 1764.
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<h2>
Victory and Recognition
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The Treaty of Paris, signed on February 10, 1763, officially ended the Seven Years' War, though news did not reach Manila until March 8, 1764. The treaty's general provision required that lands captured but not specifically mentioned be returned to their original owners - which technically included the Philippines. On March 17, 1764, the newly appointed Governor-General <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Javier_de_la_Torre" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Francisco Javier de la Torre</a> arrived from Mexico with orders from both the British and Spanish kings requiring the handover of Manila to Spain.
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<p>
British Governor Dawsonne Drake, facing charges of culpability for his troubled administration, resigned and left the Philippines on March 29, 1764. The Manila garrison ceremonially marched out on April 1, 1764, embarking for home. That evening, in a memorable ceremony at the plaza surrounding Santa Cruz Church, British commander Blackhouse surrendered the keys of Manila to Simon de Anda. In recognition of Anda's valor, Torre - the newly arrived governor - discreetly claimed illness so that Anda, rather than he, could receive the formal surrender and the honor it entailed.
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<h2>
Return to Spain and the Council of Castile
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After Francisco de la Torre officially assumed office, Anda resumed his position as <i>oidor</i> of the Audiencia. However, his heroic conduct had not gone unnoticed in Madrid. On June 27, 1766, he received a royal <i>cédula</i> appointing him minister to the Supreme Council of Castile, Spain's most powerful governing body. Accordingly, on February 1, 1767, Anda embarked from Manila in the company of his son Tomás and brother-in-law Manuel Diaz de Montoya. After a difficult voyage via the Cape of Good Hope, their ship finally cast anchor at the harbor of Cádiz in mid-July 1767.
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<p>
It was a triumphant homecoming. In several letters to cousins and relatives in Álava, Tomás proudly described how his father was "wined and feasted as befitting a war hero" wherever they went. King <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_III_of_Spain" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Charles III</a> received them at the royal court, where they attended elaborate social functions and exchanged pleasantries with top-ranking dignitaries. On November 6, 1767, Anda was inducted into the Supreme Council of Castile alongside his former University of Alcalá classmate, Agustín Leyva de Eraso.
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<p>
The crown showered Anda with honors and rewards for his services. Beyond his annual salary of 45,000 reales de vellón as privy councilor, he received: 26,000 pesos for his service as acting governor-general (October 1762 - March 1764); 33,000 pesos in gratification for excellent service; 11,000 pesos compensation for property confiscated by the British; 25,000 pesos refund for expenses in providing food, shelter, and horses to visiting officials at Bacolor; and a perpetual pension of 3,000 pesos to be inherited by the oldest legitimate male descendant of his family. The king also conferred upon him the Knighthood of the Distinguished Order of Charles III - a prestigious honor limited to only 200 recipients during Charles III's twenty-nine-year reign - which carried an additional pension of 4,000 reales annually.
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<h2>
Memorial of 1768: A Vision for Reform
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<p>
Despite a promising career ahead in the Spanish court, Anda's heart remained with the Philippines. On April 12, 1768, he submitted a remarkable memorial to the Spanish government that revealed both his intimate knowledge of colonial conditions and his commitment to enlightened reform. The greater part of this document was devoted to the abuses resulting from the <b class="lt-bold">"arrogance and lawlessness of the friars"</b>, along with detailed recommendations for corrective measures.
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<p>
Anda called for the abolition of Manila's universities, which he considered inadequate and defective, proposing they be replaced by secular institutions. He complained bitterly of the tyranny exerted by the regular clergy over secular priests and indigenous people, their refusal to acknowledge episcopal authority, their defiance of secular government, and their insatiable greed for gain - extorting what they could from indigenous communities while receiving large stipends from the government and accumulating vast estates through lucrative trade.
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<p>
The memorial accused the friars of persecuting any Spaniards who attempted to visit or trade in native villages, protecting Chinese immigrants for their own benefit, and deliberately neglecting to teach the Spanish language to indigenous people in order to maintain their domination. Anda urged that friars be compelled to submit to episcopal visitation, cease from trade, stop meddling in secular government affairs, and teach Spanish to natives - or else be expelled from the islands.
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<p>
Beyond ecclesiastical reform, Anda addressed other colonial abuses: the inappropriate choice of friars as bishops, mismanagement of royal storehouses, undue expense of the Acapulco galleon, failure to tax gold production, and neglect in subduing inland tribes of Luzon. He advocated for mining operations, revision of commercial regulations, recoinage of money, reorganization of colonial government, and more careful selection of governors with greater power to correct abuses.
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<p>
This memorial profoundly impressed King Charles III and his ministers, who were themselves pursuing enlightened reforms and seeking to curtail the power of religious orders throughout the Spanish empire. When the position of proprietary Governor-General of the Philippines became available, the crown offered it to Anda. He refused several times, but finally yielded to the "urgent request of the government".
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<h2>
Second Term as Governor-General (1770-1776)
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<p>
In July 1770, Simon de Anda made his entry into Manila as the forty-first Governor-General of the Philippines, received with "unbounded enthusiasm" by the population. However, his second administration would prove far more contentious and ultimately tragic than his heroic resistance against the British.
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<p>
Anda's instructions from Madrid required him to institute legal proceedings against his predecessor, <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1857/july-6-1765-jose-raon-arrived-in-manila-to-become-governor-general" class="news_link">José Raón</a>, who stood accused of warning the Jesuits of their impending expulsion in 1768, secreting important official documents, and engaging in widespread corruption and mismanagement. The <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3227/how-europes-jesuit-suppression-sparked-colonial-upheaval-in-the-philippines" class="news_link">Jesuit expulsion</a> - part of Charles III's broader campaign to assert royal authority over the Church - had been carried out with disturbing inefficiency in the Philippines, allowing the order's members to prepare for departure and allegedly conceal substantial wealth.
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<p>
Anda held Raón prisoner in his house, but the former governor died before the trial could conclude. The investigation expanded to include two auditors and the royal fiscal, and these officials and their supporters attacked Anda bitterly, causing him "numberless vexations". The residencia proceedings revealed a pattern of corruption: alleged illegal trade investments in Acapulco totaling over 100,000 pesos, remittances to Spain, and proceeds from the sale of offices. Though Anda pursued these prosecutions with characteristic zeal, believing he was enforcing royal authority and eliminating corruption, his methods would later be used against him by enemies in Spain.
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Today in History, October 28, 1709, Simon de Anda, Defender of Spanish Philippines, was Born