Critical analysis of Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalogs.docx

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF RELACION DE LAS COSTUMBRES DE LOS TAGALOGS
BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR
JUAN DE PLASENCIA
 Fray Juan was born to the illustrious family of the Portocarreros in Plasencia in the
region of Extremadura, Spain in the early 16th century.
 His father, Don Pedro Portocarrero, was a captain of a Spanish schooner, who died
in Naples, Italy in 1574. Juan de Plasencia died in Liliw, Laguna in 1590.
He is believed to have arrived to the Philippines in 1578, after a stopover in Mexico. As soon
as he arrived, he joined forces with another missionary, Fray Diego de Oropesa, and they both
started preaching around Laguna de Bay and Tayabas, Quezon, in Quezon Province, where he
founded several towns.
During the following years they are also credited with the foundation of a large number of
towns in the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal, such as Tayabas, Caliraya, Lucban,
Mahjayjay, Nagcarlan, Lilio(Liliw), Pila, Santa Cruz, Lumban, Pangil, Siniloan, Morong, Antipolo,
Taytay, and Meycauayan.
As a friar, Juan de Plasencia lived up to his pledge, leading a lifestyle devoid of any luxury
and in constant contact with the people he was trying to convert to Christianity. He was also
known to be a defender of the native population, looking after the poor, ill, or neglected, and
standing up for their rights on numerous occasions.