This book examines the legacy of one of the most influential members of Spanish society in the seventeenth-century Philippines, Dominican scholar Juan de Paz. Using a unique manuscript from the collections of the Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomás in Manila, the authors provide a window into the concerns, problems, and entanglements of people of different ethnicities, occupations, and stations in life. Paz's writings resolving conflicts and weighing in on questions (consultas) have not previously been translated into English. The transcriptions, translations, and editorial introductions collected in this volume therefore make it an invaluable resource for students and scholars interested in the cultural and social history of the Philippines and the Spanish empire.
Everyday Life is a treasure trove of information, considering the source is just part of a bigger collection. It is likewise a good start in discovering and understanding philippine culture and society in a century that is largely unknown in history. It brings to fore the many ambiguous aspects of Filipino life as seen, experienced, and documented in length and depth by De Paz, and fills a void in both history and historiography with engrossing essays in nicely curated chapters. (Edgar Allan M.Sembrano, Inquirer Plus, plus.inquirer.net, April 7, 2025)







