They were seeking to find a route to the islands where the previous Spanish expeditions led by Ferdinand Magellan had landed in 1521, and Ruy López de Villalobos in 1543.

From his base in Mexico City, he led the expedition to Manila in the Philippines, ordered by the Spanish general Miguel López de Legazpi in 1569.

The Spaniards arrived in the island of Luzon on 8 May 1570, and camped on the shores of Manila Bay for several weeks, while forming an alliance with the native tribes.

De Goiti, along with other soldiers were granted with estates called haciendas, for the lands they had conquered, by King Philip II of Spain.

De Goiti's remains are laid to rest on a knight's tomb inside the San Agustin Church, in Intramuros in the Philippines.