Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa

Narciso José Anastasio Clavería y Zaldúa, 1st Count of Manila (Catalan: Narcís Josep Anastasi Claveria i Zaldua; May 2, 1795 He was given the title Count of Manila. The towns of Claveria in Misamis Oriental province, Claveria in Masbate province, and Claveria in Cagayan province were named in his honor.

His grandson, Narciso Clavería y de Palacios, 3rd Count of Manila, was an architect who designed the Toledo Railway Station.

Early years Narciso Clavería was a native of the Catalonian city of Girona, whose mother was of Basque origin. He became a member of Spain's General Staff in 1838, colonel in 1839, and lieutenant general in 1844.

Surnames for Filipinos

From the days of the Spanish conquest, some Filipinos had received Spanish surnames. Most people, however, had no surnames, which caused confusion. On Wednesday, November 21, 1849, Clavería issued a decree sending long lists of Spanish and local surnames to the chiefs of the provinces. These were sent out to the different towns, and given to the locals who had no surnames. In many towns, all the names for people in that town began with the same letter of the alphabet.

A monument to Ferdinand Magellan was erected on the south bank of the Pasig River in 1848. The regular clergy were forbidden to alienate property on January 15, 1849. His term was marked by intense activity, and a number of papers were founded, among them being the first daily newspaper of Manila, La Esperanza (December 1, 1846), and Diario de Manila (1848).

Return to Spain Grave of Narciso Claveria including his wife and their daughter at San Isidro Cemetery in Madrid, Spain.

In 1849, Clavería requested that he be allowed to retire. After which he left the position of governor-general and returned to Spain.