Sandugo

Events/Artifacts (north to south) Events/Artifacts Artifacts The Legazpi-Sikatuna Blood Compact or Sandugo (Spanish: Pacto de Sangre) was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, chieftain of Bohol, on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship following tribal tradition.

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.

This made his fleet the first people from Europe to reach Asia by sailing west, although Magellan would meet an untimely death on the islands of the Philippines.

Legazpi and Sikatuna each 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.

[5] 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.

Thus was the first bond of friendship between Filipinos and Spaniards.In his report to the Spanish king, 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.

[1] Juan Luna, a Filipino painter, depicted this event in his painting entitled The Blood Compact (Spanish: El Pacto de Sangre) in 1883.