Bay Discovered

Early Spanish chronicles and records of archeological sites described the region around the Laguna de Bay and nearby areas as among the more populated places when the Spaniards arrived. One of these areas was Bay, the center of activity of what would later become a province. In fact, the conquistadors sent by Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, led by his grandson,19 year-old Captain Juan de Salcedo chose Bay to be the first community to take. By this time, Salcedo has already earned the sobriquet "Silo-silo," probably because of his reputation of being treacherous and victorious. "Silo-silo," in Tagalog means a noose, used to trap birds and other animals. Others however deduced that the Spanish-Mexican accent of Salcedo's troop sounded like "Silo-silo" to illiterate natives.

Salcedo landed in Bay on August 19, 1571 with two Augustinian priests, Fathers Alfonso de Alvarado and Diego Espinar. the village chieftain Gat Panguiil gave Salcedo a friendly welcome. The native ruler have earlier heard about the fall of Cainta and Taytay– two villages across the lake and realized that his warriors have no match with the might of Salcedo's band of one hundred Spanish-Mexican soldiers and Visayan allies from Cebu and Panay.

By chance, Masolong, son of the chief of Liliw was in the village to visit a friend when Salcedo arrived. He immediately embraced the Christian faith to become the first Lagunense to be baptized by the two missionaries. He was renamed Juan Masolong.

Salcedo befriended Juan Masolong. A week later, on August 29, 1571, Juan Masolong brought home Salcedo and his men to Liliw. Gat Tayaw, the chief of Liliw and Masolong's father gave them a warm reception.

The Spanish conquistadors took the rest of the village not without resistance. Two neighboring communities, Nagcarlan, ruled by Gat Laquiao and Majayjay by Gat Yantok defended their domain. Although Gat Laquiao boasts ownership of cannons from Borneo, the Spanish weaponry proved more superior to the native's bamboo spears and bows and arrows. Nagcarlan fell while Majayjay later submitted to Legazpi's diplomatic charisma.

The news of the fall of Nagcarlan and Majayjay reached the other villages around the lake. Natives readily yielded to the Spanish rule. Salcedo's campaign around the lake earned him 25,000 new subjects for the crown of Spain.. ,

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