▁the ▁Philippines , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁August in ian ▁Fri ar ▁Gas par ▁de ▁San ▁Ag ust ín , ▁O . S . A . ▁described ▁Pan ay ▁as : ▁ ▁"... very ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Sic ily ▁in ▁its ▁tri angular ▁form , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁its ▁fert ility ▁and ▁abund ance ▁of ▁provision . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁populated ▁island ▁after ▁Man ila ▁and ▁Mind ana o , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁( with ▁over ▁a ▁hundred ▁le agues ▁of ▁coast line ). ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁fert ility ▁and ▁abund ance , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁first ... ▁It ▁is ▁very ▁beautiful , ▁very ▁pleasant , ▁and ▁full ▁of ▁co con ut ▁pal ms ... ▁Near ▁the ▁river ▁Al ag uer ▁( H ala ur ), ▁which ▁em pt ies ▁into ▁the ▁sea ▁two ▁le agues ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Dum ang as ..., ▁in ▁the ▁ancient ▁times , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁trad ing ▁center ▁and ▁a ▁court ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁ill ust ri ous ▁nob ility ▁in ▁the ▁whole ▁island ." ▁ ▁Miguel ▁de ▁Lo arca , ▁who ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁Spanish ▁sett lers ▁in ▁the ▁Island , ▁also ▁made ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁account ▁about ▁Pan ay ▁and ▁its ▁people ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁Western er ' s ▁point ▁of ▁view . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 5 8 2 , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁Are val o ▁( I lo ilo ), ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁Rel acion ▁de ▁las ▁Y sl as ▁Filip inas ▁the ▁following ▁observations