This volume is the second of the Second Series of the Colección de documentos inéditos de Ultramar (Collection of Unpublished Overseas Documents), a monumental compilation of primary sources originally published in Madrid in 1886 by the Real Academia de la Historia. The volume focuses entirely on the initial period of Spanish presence in the Philippine Islands, detailing the discovery, conquest, and early organization of the archipelago. It contains original archival documents, primarily sourced from the Archivo General de Indias, including royal instructions, capitulations, letters, and logistical reports concerning the critical expeditions of Ruy López de Villalobos and Miguel López de Legazpi. The prologue notes the importance of these documents in providing an internal perspective and correcting historical errors, such as the initial, concealed objective of the Legazpi expedition to settle in New Guinea before proceeding to the Philippines. This specific copy is a 1969 offset reprint produced by the National Historical Commission of the Republic of the Philippines, underscoring its relevance as a foundational source for the local institution’s history and the national narrative of the Philippines' early colonial period.
Colección de documentos inéditos relativos al descubrimiento, conquista y organización de las antiguas posesiones españolas de ultramar: Vol. 2. I de las Islas Filipinas (2nd ser.)