CULTURAL MAPPING REPORT ABOUT
“BOHOL BLOOD COMPACT”
FATIMA B. CANDEL
2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FRONT PAGE…………………………………………………………………………………1
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………2
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….3
WHAT IS SANDUGO?………………………………………………………………………….4
HISTORY………………………………………………………………………………...………5
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Introduction
The Bohol Blood Compact
sculpture was made by the
National Artist, Napoleon Abueva,
a Boholano himself. It is placed on
an open and raised dais portraying
five (5) life-sized images of men
gathered around a table with
Legazpi and Sikatuna supposedly
making a toast. Standing on the
dais, visitors are treated to a good
view of the Bohol Sea and the contour of that particular side of the island of Bohol.
Fronting a public school of Barangay Bool, the site is easily accessible since it is
along the national road. Many shops offering souvenir and gift items are along the
road and across it.
This particular site was made in honor of a very important event happened between
the white and the brown races. The white race represents Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
of Spain, and the brown race represents our very own Rajah Sikatuna of Bohol.
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What is Sandugo?
The Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in
the Philippine, between the Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu
Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part
of the tribal tradition. Sikatuna-Legaspi blood compact is considered as the First
Treaty of Friendship between two different races, religions, cultures and
civilizations. It was a treaty of friendship based on respect and equality. This event
is commonly known as “Sandugo” is a Visayan word which means "one blood".
The Sandugo is depicted in both the provincial flag and the official seal of the
government in Bohol. It also features the image of the blood compact. The top of
the seal explains the history behind the Sandugo event that occurred in Bohol, the
fleet and the location where the Spaniards anchored and the place where the treaty
was conducted which was dated on March 16, 1565.
How did the Blood Compact occur?
The Sandugo began with the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi in Bohol in 1565
and the establishment of allegiance by Datu Sikatuna to the king of Spain. They
made a cut on their left arm with a dagger and poured their blood into a cup filled
with wine, which they both drank in honour of their friendship. The inscription at a
monument in Tagbilaran City describes the event:
About the middle of March 1565, the fleet of Captain General Miguel López de
Legazpi anchored along these shores. In the course of this visit, López de Legazpi
entered into a blood compact with Datu Sikatuna for the purpose of insuring
friendly relations between the Spaniards and Filipinos.
It added that the compact was performed as part of the tribal tradition.
Each of the two leaders made a small cut in his arm, drew a few drops of blood
from the incision, mixed it with wine, and drank the goblet containing the blood of
the other. Thus was the first bond of friendship between Filipinos and Spaniards.
In his report to Philip II, López de Legazpi wrote:
It is observed in the following manner: one from each party draws two or three
drops of blood from his own arm or breast and mixes them in the same cup, with
water or wine. Then the mixture must be divided equally between two cups and
neither person may depart until both cups are alike drained.
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History
In 1521, Portoguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan became the first person
from Europe to reach Asia by sailing west, a voyage of which he would meet an
untimely death in the island of the Philippines. Spain sent expeditions to colonize
the East Indies in their competition with Portugal to seize control over the spice
trade. However, all of these expeditions failed. It was not until Miguel López de
Legazpi, sailing from Mexico with five ships and five hundred men, reached the
Philippines in 1565 and a Spanish settlement was established. López de Legazpi
was greeted by hostile Muslim tribes opposing a foreign invasion. He attempted to
land Cebu on February 13, 1565 but was not able to land. The Cebuanos were
hostile. So he sailed to the nearby islands of Samar, Leyte, Limasawa and
Camiguin in search of provisions.
Eventually on their way to Mindanao, the fleet met with bad weather and was
forced to seek refuge and dropped anchor at a village southeastern part of Bohol,
which is now called Jagna.
The natives were unfriendly. They set sail again and seek other villages where the
people are friendlier.
In a village of Bool, three kilometers from Tagbilaran, Legazpi dropped anchor. He
went ashore together with the Muslim interpreter and some of his men and
approached Sikatuna in a pleasing manner that impressed the local chieftain. With
Legazpi’s overtures, tact and diplomacy, Sikatuna was sold to his visitor’s ideas
and eventually became friends.
As is the native custom of that time, the two sealed their friendship through a blood
compact wherein both draw two or three drops of blood from their arms, mixed the
blood with the wine and equally drank from the cup. Other historians say that the
blood-wine mixture was divided equally between the two and then drank up to the
last drop. The compact was sealed on March 16, 1565.
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