[1] His administration was driven by the reforms initiated by the Enlightenment in Spain, which has become the distinguishing aspect of his long service as governor.

[2] Aguilar was able to effectively advocate the opening of Manila to foreign trade, a proposal that had been attempted by his predecessors, Félix Berenguer de Marquina (1788–1793) and José Basco y Vargas (1778–1787).

[4] However, it would only be by the royal decree of September 6, 1834 when the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País (Economic Societies of Friends of the Country) was abolished and Manila was completely opened to international trade.

[5] He was also able to reprint and disseminate former Governor-General José Antonio Raón y Gutiérrez's revised version of the "Ordinances of Good Government", a document first drafted by Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban.

The expedition, led by Doctor Francisco Javier de Balmis, aimed to vaccinate people against smallpox, and the Philippines was included in the number of destinations of the mission.