Alonso Fajardo de Entenza

Who was Alonso Fajardo de Entenza?

Don Alonso Fajardo de Entenza y de Guevara, Córdoba y Velasco, Knight of Alcantara, Lord of Espinardo was Spanish Governor-General and Captain-General of the Islands of the Philippines from 3 July 1618 until his death.

Fajardo de Tenza was a native of Murcia, son of conquistador Don Luis Fajardo de Córdoba and wife Doña Luisa de Tenza, Lady of Espinardo, and a Knight of the Order of Alcántara. He arrived at Cavite in the Philippines on 2 July 1618, and took up the governorship the following day. He took over from the Audiencia of Manila, which had been governing the colony since 1616 in the absence of the previous Viceroy, Juan de Silva.

The sixth Dutch blockade of Manila took place between 12 October 1618 and the end of May 1619. Anticipating the blockade, Governor Fajardo sent a ship to Macau in September 1618 to buy ammunition, to engage in trade and, through the embassy of Dominican Father Bartolomé Martínez, to warn the Chinese against sending sampans to Manila, as they would surely be intercepted by the Dutch fleet.

In early May 1619, some Japanese ships arrived at Manila and were allowed to enter the harbor by the Dutch.