Sandugo

The Sandugo was a blood compact performed in native-Bohol style between the traveling Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol on March 16, 1565 in the Philippines to seal their friendship as part of the native custom. The pact was entered into by López de Legazpi for the purpose of insuring friendly relations between the Spaniards and the natives. This is considered as the first international treaty of friendship between two people of different races, a Filipino and a Spaniard. "Sandugo" is a Visayan term meaning "one blood" ("san" means one, and "dugo" means blood). [http://www.bohol.gov.ph/history.html History of Bohol] www.bohol.gov.ph Retrieved 16 November, 2006 ]

A hallmark of the Philippine province of Bohol, the "Sandugo" is depicted in both the provincial flag and seal as symbol of the Boholanos' love for peace. [ [http://www.bohol.gov.ph/pseal.html Provincial Flag and Seal] www.bohol.gov.ph Retrieved 16 November, 2006. ] It also features in both the Tagbilaran City flag and seal; the lower portion depicts the blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Captain General Miguel López de Legazpi at Bool District, Tagbilaran City. The top of the seal indicates the ship and the place where López de Legazpi anchored and where the treaty of friendship was conducted on March 16, 1565. Furthermore, the seal signifies that the City of Tagbilaran is the City of Peace and Friendship. [ [http://www.tagbilaran.gov.ph/citypseal.php Tagbilaran City Seal] www.tagbilaran.gov.ph Retrieved 16 November, 2006. ]

Context

Within the time when Ferdinand Magellan became the first person from Europe to reach Asia by sailing west and where he would meet an untimely death in the islands that would become known as the Philippines in 1521 and 1564, Spain sent four more expeditions to colonize the East Indies in their race with Portugal to seize control over the lucrative spice trade. Unfortunately, all of these expeditions failed. It wasn't until Miguel López de Legazpi, sailing from Mexico with four ships and nearly four hundred men reached the Philippines in the early part of 1565 that a Spanish settlement was finally established. [http://www.aenet.org/bohol/boholhis.htm Readings From Bohol's History] www.aenet.org, Source: Philippine Political and Cultural History. Volume I. Gregorio F. Zaide Retrieved 15 November 2006.] It wasn't any easier for López de Legazpi than for the five previous expeditions to establish a colony. Like Magellan forty years earlier, López de Legazpi was met by hostile native warriors opposing a foreign invasion. His attempt to land on the island of Cebu resulted in the death of one of his soldiers prompting him to weigh anchor and seek friendlier isles, with the fate of Magellan at the back of his mind.

Sailing south toward Mindanao, López de Legazpi's fleet met contrary winds forcing them to sail northward to the island of Bohol. There, he captured a trading vessel from Borneo whose Mohammedan Malay pilot informed him that the natives there traded with Moluccas, Borneo, Java, Malacca, India, and China. This fateful shift in the winds would lead to an alliance with native kings that finally gave the Spaniards their opportunity for colonization.

In Bohol, Legazpi first noticed the hostility of the people. The Mohammedan Malay pilot explained that such hostility was due to the marauding expeditions conducted by the Portuguese from the Moluccas, and, since the Spaniards looked like Portuguese, the Bohol inhabitants naturally mistook them to be the "white vandals". As late as 1563, Portuguese raiders prowled the Visayan waters, plundered Bohol, and killed or enslaved about 1,000 inhabitants.

Legazpi, with the help of the Malay pilot, explained to the two kings of Bohol, Katuna (Si Katuna) and Gala (Si Gala) that the Spaniards were not Portuguese and that they had come on a mission of peace, not to destroy, kill or plunder. Upon learning this, the Bohol kings and their people became friendlier and more welcoming to the Spaniards.

Ceremony

On March 16, 1565, Legazpi and Katuna performed a blood compact to seal their friendship. A few days later Legazpi had a similar pact with Gala. The inscription at the marker at the Sandugo Shrine in Bool, Tagbilaran City reads and describes in detail how the blood compact took place:

It added that the compact was performed as part of the native custom.

In his report to Philip II, Legaspi wrote:

"Sandugo" thus began with the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi on the shores of Bohol in 1565 and the swearing of allegiance of Datu Sikatuna to the Spanish crown. They were believed to have made a cut on their left arms with a dagger and sprinkled their blood into a cup filled with wine, which they both drank in honour of their friendship and brotherhood. This was 44 years after Magellan was killed attacking a Philippine village on Mactan Island, 50 miles north of Bohol. [http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_festivals/sandugo_festival.html Sandugo Festival Bohol] www.philippinecountry.com Retrieved 16 November, 2006.]

ymbolism

The Sandugo treaty is called blood compact because the both participants drink a small amount of the other's blood. ("Dugo" means blood in Cebuano. ) This was a traditional way to formalize treaties of friendship in the Philippines. Magellan himself took part in several of these ceremonies before attacking Mactan Island.

The Blood Compact preserved the ties of friendship between two people, once different in religion, nationality, culture and civilization. The Tagbilaran native chieftain who swore by his ancestral "Anito" and "Bathala", and the Spanish explorer and colonizer, who sought the New World with the sword and the cross, drank to the common cause - friendship. It was the first international treaty of friendship and comity between the Filipinos and Spaniards.

In honor of this occasion, the late President of the Philippines Elpidio Quirino established the Order of Sikatuna, a presidential decoration conferred upon diplomats. [http://www.bohol.gov.ph/history.html History of Bohol] www.bohol.gov.ph Retrieved 16 November, 2006 ]

Juan Luna, a famous Filipino painter, aptly depicted this event in his famous painting entitled "El Pacto de Sangre" ("the blood pact") in 1883. "El Pacto de Sangre" obtained the first prize in Paris in 1885 and at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of St. Louis in 1904. [ [http://www.jose-rizal.eu/jluna.html Juan Luna] www.jose-rizal.eu Retrieved 23 November, 2006. ]

Different view of the Sikatuna-Legazpi Blood Compact

At that time, the meaning of the "sandugo" for the natives was that "since the same blood now flowed in their veins, they had become members of the same family, bound to observe loyalty to one another." In other words, Sikatuna and Legazpi became blood brothers by performing the rite. Cajes, Alan. [http://www.aybpm.freeservers.com/custom2.html A Brief History of Bohol] www.aybpm.freeservers.com Retrieved 22 November, 2006.]

After the blood compact, however, Legazpi took possession of the island of Bohol in the name of the King of Spain Philip II on April 15, 1565. He then proceeded to Cebu, which he bombarded and conquered.

Controversy on actual site of Sandugo

For a long time, the acknowledged site of the sandugo or blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel López de Legazpi has been Barangay Bool, in Tagbilaran City. A blood compact shrine and marker exist in the area at present. The Philippine Historical Committee (PHC), the forerunner of the National Historical Institute or NHI, installed the historical marker in Bool in 1941. Fuentes, Chito. [http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=63607 Blood Compact controversy boils] news.inq7.net Retrieved 2 December, 2006.]

An opposing claim was made by Loay, Bohol that the actual site is Barangay Hinawanan of the town. This claim is contained in a billboard near the Hinawanan bridge stating that it is the "real" site of the historic event. Bantugan, Danilo. [http://www.boholchronicle.com/2006/aug/12/opinion1.htm City Hall Notes] www.boholchronicle.com August 13, 2006. Retrieved 28 November, 2006.]

The National Historical Institute (NHI) ruled that instead of the blood compact site as Bool, Tagbilaran City, it took place in Hinawanan, Loay, Bohol, 17 kilometers east of the city. [ Cabalit, Jorge. [http://www.boholchronicle.com/july06/23/viewpoints.htm Viewpoints] www.boholchronicle.com July 23, 2006. Retrieved 28 November, 2006. ] The finding was contained in Resolution No. 04, Series of 2005, approved by the NHI on July 1, 2005, adopting the recommendation of a panel resolving the site of the Blood Compact. It was signed by NHI chair Ambeth Ocampo; members Fr. Jose Cruz, Heidi Gloria, Benito Legarda Jr. and Serafin Quiason; and ex-officio members Corazon Alvina and Prudenciana Cruz. NHI executive director Ludovico Badoy attested to the resolution.

This has prompted the city government of Tagbilaran to adopt a resolution to embark on a formal research on Bool Kingdom. This is amidst the acknowledgement of NHI Executive Director Ludovico Badoy that: "information about pre-colonial history and baranganic-kingdom are quite vague since many written records were either destroyed by pioneer missionaries or could not withstand the ravages of time". He also suggested that other avenues could be explored in order to ascertain the existence of Bool Kingdom before and during the advent of the Iberian conquistadors. Further, archaeological survey or archival research of extent historical records of Asian neighbors who had early trade relations with the Philippines are among these possible avenues. Engr. Jes B. Tirol has agreed in principle to head the sub-committee for a research on the Bool Kingdom.

andugo Festival

Main|Sandugo Festival

The Bohol Sandugo Celebration (or Sandugo Festival), also known as the Blood Compact Commemoration, is an annual historical event taking place for the whole month of July in Bohol. The festival commemorates the 1565 "Sandugo".

The main highlights of the Sandugo Festival are the colorful street parade with a street dancing competition, a re-enactment of the blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel López de Legazpi, and a search for the Miss Bohol Sandugo. These are aside from the Agricultural, Cultural and Food Fairs, nightly activities for the whole month of July, the TBTK or "Tigum Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan" ("international gathering or homecoming of Boholanos"), and a whole array of activities varying from year to year.

References

ee also

*Order of Sikatuna

Additional Readings

*Severino, Howie. [http://www.gmapinoytv.com/sidetrip/blog/index.php?/archives/67-guid.html Much ado about an old blood compact] Howie Severino's SideTrip. April 7, 2006.
*Fuentes, Chito. [http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=63607 Blood Compact controversy boils] Philippine Daily Inquirer. January 21, 2006.
* de Viana, Augusto V. [http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/sept/17/yehey/top_stories/20060917top3.html The Order of Kalantiaw? Haosiao!] Manila Times September 17, 2006.
* Tirol, Jes [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=109&s1=&s2=&s3=&s4=&s5=&s6=412&s7=&s9=&s10= Sundry Chronicle Part 3] The Bohol Chronicle. December 11, 2005.
* Tirol, Jes [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=107&s1=1459&s2=1464&s3=1472&s4=&s5=1470&s6=406&s7=1471&s9=&s10= Sundry Chronicle Part 2] The Bohol Chronicle. December 4, 2005.
* Tirol, J. [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=105&s1=1435&s2=1440&s3=1442&s4=&s5=1451&s6=399&s7=1452&s9=&s10= Sundry Chronicle Part 1] The Bohoo Chronicle. November 27, 2005.
*Tirol, J. [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/editorial.php?issue=70&s1=930&s2=933&s3=943&s4=&s5=941&s6=256&s7=942&s9=&s10= Sandugo, 17 years after] The Bohol Chronicle. July 24, 2005.
*Tirol, Jes [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=68&s1=904&s2=909&s3=917&s4=&s5=915&s6=250&s7=916&s9=&s10= Blood Compact] The Bohol Chronicle. July 17, 2006.
*Tirol, Jes [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=20&s1=245&s2=249&s3=256&s4=&s5=254&s6=66&s7=255&s9=&s10= Blood Compact Site: Site Investigation by NHI Panel] The Bohol Chronicle. February 13, 2005.

Related Literature

*Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People. GAROTECH Publishing, 1990 (8th Edition).
*Arcila, Jose S. Rizal and the Emergence of the Philippine Nation. 2001 revised edition.
*Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: A Past Revisited. Tala Publishing Series, 1975.
*Corpuz, Onofre D. The Roots of the Filipino Nation. 1989.
*Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. AdMU: 1994.
*Zaide, Gregorio F. Great Filipinos in History: An Epic of Filipino Greatness in War and Peace. Verde Bookstore, 1970.
*Zaide, Gregorio. Dagohoy: Champion of Philippine Freedom. Manila: Enriquez, Alduan and Co., 1941.

External links

* [http://www.gotouring.com/razzledazzle/sandugo/sandugophoto001.html Sandugo Shrine] (Photo)
* [http://www.boholsandugo.com/2004/index.php Sandugo Festival Web site]
* [http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_festivals/sandugo_festival.html Sandugo Festival Bohol]
* [http://www.bohol-tbtk.com/ TBTK 2006 Website]