LUKBAN ORDER, AUGUST 28, 1900
Exhibit 1334.
[Original in Spanish. Unsigned document. P.I.R., 973.4.]
AUGUST 28, 1900.
Vicente Lukban y Rilles, Politico-Military Governor of this province of
Samar, Philippines and General-in-chief of the same.
In order to prevent suffering from hunger among the inhabitants
of the pueblos on the sea coast, due to the circumstances through which
we are passing - war and the locust plague - and also due to the failure
of some people to plant their fields and lands, whence they might maintain
themselves, I have on this date ordered the following:
1st. Traffic in abaca, copra and other articles is hereby permitted
from the pueblo of Oras to Basey, 2nd and 3rd districts of your jurisdiction.
2nd. In case defenseless vessels, laden with these articles, should
be pursued by any of the enemy's warships within the waters of this
province, they may take refuge in any pueblo, whose inhabitants are
obliged to render aid to them in the way of defense in order to avoid
the loss of said articles or prevent personal misfortune.
3rd. In case that the enemy should return to your coast you will
suspend this traffic, as has heretofore been voluntarily done, and all
the pueblos will unite in going to the field in order to expel the
enemy as has also heretofore been done.
4th. For the same reason by which traffic in abaca is permitted
to the above-mentioned pueblos, the latter are also obliged to devote
themselves to the cultivation of the land by planting palay, corn, "gave,"
sweet potatoes and other tubers, but principally palay - the kind that
can be harvested within one hundred days - in order that, in case of
suspension of the traffic of abaca, by reason of the circumstances of
war, they may not complain because then they will have their creps
which will support them for a long time. The popular junta of each
pueblo may try any person for laziness and make a report thereof
to this government.
5th. All the inhabitants of your district are hereby informed that
abaca, copra and other articles should be taken as a secondary consideration
when the enemy appears, and that traffic therein Rhould be suspended,
and consequently it is imperative that all should give preference
to the planting of palay - particularly the kind that produces within
one hundred days from planting.
6th. In order that energy may be displayed in the cultivation of
the above the delegate of revenues of each pueblo shall put himself at
the head of this work, and shall make out a list of all those who
may have their lands planted, making a report thereof to this government
which shall be countersigned by the local chief.
7th. The inhabitants who are not engaged in active warfare, and
who do not own any land which they could cultivate, shall be obliged to
seek level pieces of land in the forests of the state which they shall
plough in such a way that they can plant therein palay and secure crops
therefrom in due time.
8th. Those who may have worked and ploughed these lands shall
be considered as owners thereof and no one can disturb their ownership
or possession, which will be applied for to this government through the
respective juntas of each pueblo by the same parties concerned who
may have done the ploughing, in order that they may be given provisional
title pending the supreme decision.
9th. In order that in the future this province may not have to
import grains or articles of prime necessity from any other province
or from any merchant, but on the contrary that these articles shall be
exported, it is hereby charged and ordered that all the local chiefs of
the province shall strictly comply with these provisions and that they
shall require from the delegates of revenues a list of the lands or
forests under cultivation with the names of the owners thereof, which
shall be countersigned by the local chiefs and forwarded to this government
for its information.
Given in Matuguinao, August 28, 1900.
(Unsigned)
Governor-General.