Rafael María de Aguilar

Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León was a Spanish military officer who served as the 56th Governor-General of the Philippines (Spanish: Gobernador Géneral) and was the longest serving governor in the Spanish Philippines.

Biography There is not much known about the early life and career of Aguilar. Prior to his appointment as Governor-General of the Philippines, the first of only two gubernatorial appointments in the Philippines made by King Charles IV of Spain, he served as a military officer and a gentleman of the bedchamber. His military service earned him the Order of Alcántara. He arrived in the Philippines on 28 August 1793 and assumed office on 1 September. His administration was driven by the reforms initiated by the Enlightenment in Spain, which has become the distinguishing aspect of his long service as governor. Aguilar was the longest serving Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines (12 years, 11 months).

Administration of the Philippines

One of the key accomplishments of Aguilar's administration was setting up the defense of the archipelago. Fortifications were reinforced in Cavite. In 1794, a shipyard was constructed at Binondo in Manila and a naval base built at Corregidor. These were set up in order to make boats for military campaigns against the Moros. However, it would only be by the royal decree of September 6, 1834 when the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País (Economic Societies of Friends of the Country) was abolished and Manila was completely opened to international trade. He was also able to reprint and disseminate former Governor-General José Antonio Raón y Gutiérrez's revised version of the "Ordinances of Good Government", a document first drafted by Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban. Meanwhile, in 1804, he proposed the modernization of Manila. This had been done by massive public works projects, creation of cultural institutions, and the illumination of Manila streets. Aguilar died on 8 August 1806, one day after being succeeded by Mariano Fernández de Folgueras.