The victories against the Dutch invaders were attributed by the Spanish troops to the intercession of the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila.

They harassed the coasts of Manila Bay and its environs, and preyed on sampans and junks from China and Japan in an attempt to cut off Spanish trade with East Asia.

In October 1616, another Dutch fleet of 10 galleons under the command of Joris van Spilbergen (Georges Spillberg) blockaded the entrance of Manila Bay.

From 1640 to 1641, a Dutch fleet of three ships stationed near Embocadero de San Bernardino tried to capture merchant galleons coming from Acapulco, Mexico.

These galleons, however, escaped safely by taking a different route after receiving warnings from a system of fire-signals (placed in Embocadero) which was devised by the Jesuit priest Francisco Colin.

[2] In view of their previous failures to disrupt the Spanish Empire's trade in Asia, the Dutch decided to seize the Philippines, feeling certain that they were strong enough to carry out the attacks.

The new Spanish governor-general Diego Fajardo Chacón reached the Philippines at the end of June in 1644, together with the Andalusian Captain Sebastian López.

The citizens of Manila, who were in great need of a religious leader to strengthen their faith in those desperate times, sorrowfully mourned at the untimely death of de Espinosa.

On November 30, 1645, during the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, a devastating earthquake hit Manila and its environs, destroying about 150 magnificent buildings and killed countless citizens.

[6] At that time, Manila had no naval strength to repel the enemy—save for the two old and nearly-rotting Manila-Acapulco galleons, the 800-ton[3] Encarnación and 700-ton[3] Rosario—which arrived at Cavite from Mexico from the previous year.

The Encarnación answered with two shots, hitting the Dutch flagship with a 15 kg cannonball,[11][13] tearing open the forward edge of the ship's prow.

[6] The Dutch squadron, still stationed in Zamboanga awaiting the return of the other three ships which managed to escape their clutches,[3] proceeded to San Bernardino, prompted by their previous orders from Batavia to seize any vessel coming from Mexico to the Philippines.

It was decided after a council of war that the two ships should not engage in battle to save their ammunitions until the arrival of the San Luis to protect it at all cost.

[6] General Orellana then ordered sergeant-major Agustin de Cepeda with Captain Gaspar Cardoso as his aide, together with 150 infantrymen, to secure an elevated piece of land located near the entrance of the harbor, which might be used by the Dutch as a strategic point to ambush the two galleons.

[6] At 10 o'clock of June 23, four heavy armed boats of the Dutch approached the hill, but were driven back by the Spanish troops in a surprise attack.

[6] Failing to secure the hill, the Dutch sent 10 launches to inflict some damage upon the two galleons, hoping to reduce the ammunitions of the Spanish fleet before the arrival of the San Luis.

The Encarnación and Rosario wasted no time and chased the enemy, knowing that Manila laid defenseless, with no ships to protect itself and all its artillery totally removed for use of the two galleons.

seemed in a trance and then delivered "a very spiritual sermon" to the men, the content of which was "an assurance on the part of God and His Most Holy Mother, not only victory but also that no one would be killed in battle.

[13] Before the battle began, both General Orellana and Admiral Lopez (without each other's knowledge),[16] made public their vows to the Virgin of the Rosary in the name of the entire armada, that if they come out victorious against the Dutch, they will make a solemn feast in Her honor, and all of them would walk barefoot to Our Lady's chapel at Santo Domingo church,[9][13] as a sign of thanksgiving.

"[17] Informed of the third victory, Governor Fajardo ordered the Spanish fleet of two to return to the port of Cavite for the much needed rest and repairs.

[6] As soon as they landed, the triumphant Spanish troops led by General Orellana marched barefooted to the church of Santo Domingo in Manila, as fulfillment to their vow.

[6] General Cristoval Marquez de Valenzuela, commander of the San Diego, was surprised to discover the three Dutch ships stationed near Fortune Island in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Upon entering Manila Bay, the galleon proceeded to the port of Cavite to inform the Governor General regarding the presence of the Dutch.

Governor Fajardo ordered that the vow made during the three previous battles be renewed, as well as the continuity of the practice of reciting the Holy Rosary aloud in two choirs while keeling before the image of Our Lady.

The Encarnación had difficulty in approaching the Rosario to lend a hand, and for four hours, the lone admiral ship battled furiously against the three, forcing the Dutch corsairs to retreat and took shelter among the shoals near Cape Calavite.

[11] Upon learning that the newly built San Diego had some defects, making it unable to continue its journey to Mexico, General Sebastian decided to bring the galleon back to Mariveles and await for Governor Fajardo's decision regarding the matter.

The San Diego was moored at Mariveles (together with the galley and the four brigantines), with the Encarnación guarding it from a distance, anchoring at the entrance of Manila Bay.

Although outgunned, the galera fired upon the Dutch vessel "so furiously that the enemy regarded themselves as lost and the men attempted to throw themselves overboard.

The victorious armada returned once again to Manila to fulfill their vow of walking barefoot to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros.

[11][13] On January 20, 1647,[3][9] the victory was celebrated with a solemn feast by means of a procession, Mass and a parade of the Spanish squadron with other demonstrations in fulfillment of the vow made to the Virgin of the Rosary.