Sandugo Festival Commemorating RP’s first int’l treaty of friendship

Four hundred thirty five years ago, a friendship was sealed with blood between

Boholano chieftain Rajah Sikatuna and the Spanish conquistador, Captain

General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Popularly known today as ''The Blood

Compact,'' it forged the country's first international treaty of friendship.

According to the late Carlos P. Romulo, the 4th President of the United Nations’

General Assembly, “The Blood Compact was the first seed of the United Nations

planted in Bohol. Rajah Sikatuna was indeed the world’s foremost statesman who

forged the Blood Compact in a manner, unequaled in the annals of history.”

Romulo accompanied then Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Pedro Ortiz on March

16, 1982, during the celebration of the 317th anniversary of the “Blood Compact.”

To commemorate this historic event, the provincial government of Bohol holds the

“Sandugo Festival” every July 22 with grand shows, cultural parades highlighted by

the Sandugo Street Dancing.

Aside from the well-attended Mardi Gras-style festivity, this year’s festival was

marked by a showcase of exceptional creative talents of the Boholanos.

Excerpts from the highly-acclaimed musical “Dagohoy” was performed by the Teatro

Bol-Anon drama group inside the centuries-old Baclayon Church. This was followed by

the rendition of selected songs by the Loboc Children’s Choir and a concert by the UP

Singing Ambassadors and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of

Italian Maestro Ruggero Barbieri at the historic Loboc Church.

Other groups from provinces like Leyte, whose entries in the street dancing

competition won prizes, brought together the best dance groups around the country

to compete with each other. The dances depicted the theme of “friendship among

equals and international diplomacy” expressed in the participants’ traditional culture

such the Cordillera tribes, the Mindanao highland tribes and other Visayan groups.

Located in Central Visayas, the Island province of Bohol is the 10th largest island in

the archipelago. Tagbiliran City, the provincial capital, is the gateway to the

numerous attractions in this island paradise.

Like other islands in the region, Bohol has an abundance of pristine white sand

beaches. The oval-shaped mainland is surrounded with 73 smaller islands, which

includes Pamilacan, Balicasag, and Cabilao islands, now becoming havens for both

local and foreign tourists and scuba divers.

Aside from its old churches, museums and beaches, Bohol’s inland is also noted for its

equally remarkable sights. Foremost of which are its world famous “Chocolate Hills.”

These are 1,268 perfectly coned haycock hills hunched together with elevations of

40-120 meters high. Other must-see places are the Baclayon Church, the best

preserved Jesuit-built church in the region, and the reclusive Philippine tarsier,

endemic only to Bohol.

“Gradually taking a shape is the 2,000 -hectare Panglao Island Tourism Estate (PITE)

just off Tagbiliran City,” says Bohol Gov. Rene Lopez Relampagos.

“Declared as a flagship project of the government, the PITE is one of the five tourist

satellite destinations in the country where investments in hotels/resort complex,

convention facilities, sports/recreational facilities, golf course, shopping centers,

retirement and handicraft villages and marine are being promoted.”

Getting there

At present, only Asian Spirit serves the direct route from Manila to Tagbiliran daily

with a Cebu connection with its 60-seater YS11-500 turboprop plane. Development

projects at the city airport, including the extension of the runway length, are

expected to handle PAL’s B737-300s soon.

There are nine daily ship calls to Tagbiliran from Cebu, six being fast ferry trips, which

negotiates the route in one-and-a-half hours.