author
Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga
1760–1818
A Spanish Augustinian friar and chronicler, he wrote one of the best-known early 19th-century accounts of the Philippines, shaped by years of travel, parish work, and close observation. His books mix history, geography, and everyday life in a way that still makes them useful to readers of Philippine history.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Aguilar de Codés, Spain, on June 16, 1760, he entered the Augustinian order in Valladolid and later sailed to the Philippines, arriving in Manila in 1786 after a stay in Mexico. He learned Tagalog and served in several parishes, including Batangas, Hagonoy, Calumpit, Pasig, and Parañaque.
Martínez de Zúñiga is remembered as a priest, missionary, and chronicler of the Spanish Philippines. His best-known work, Historia de las Islas Philipinas, was published in Manila in 1803 and later appeared in English as An Historical View of the Philippine Islands. It brought together history, language, government, customs, production, and commerce, giving readers a broad picture of the islands as he understood them.
What makes his writing stand out is its practical, observant quality. He was not only recording major events, but also describing places, people, and the workings of colonial society from firsthand experience. He died in Manila on March 7, 1818.