Saturday, March 22, 2008

Breathtaking Bohol: Sanduguan

Quick brush-up on Philippine History: It was in Bohol were local chieftains Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc performed the Sanduguan or El Pacto de Sangre with Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi back in the 16th century. The sanduguan or blood compact was a pact of friendship sealed in blood.

It is touted as the world's "first treaty of friendship between different races". The guys supposedly drank droplets of each other's blood mixed in with wine. A monument marks the spot where the blood compact was made. It is located along the road with a spectacular view of the sea.

There is actually a minor controversy over the exact location of the sanduguan. But I don't really care about exact locations. Besides, this supposed pact of friendship kind of paved the way for the Spanish to start their conquest of the Visayan islands. The rest is history, so they say.

No comments: