The Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish

explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part of the tribal tradition. This is considered as the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and

Filipinos. "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.^[2] 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.

History

A marker in Bohol.

In 1521, Portuguese 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.^[4] López de

Legazpi was greeted by hostile Muslim tribes 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 explore another island and seek trade with

 various tribes.

Sandugo Reenactment

Sailing south toward the island of Mindanao, López de Legazpi's fleet encountered highwinds forcing them to

sail northward to the island of Bohol. There, he captured a vessel from Borneo whose Malay sailors informed the Spaniards that the natives inhabiting the region traded with people from Borneo and Indonesia.^[4] Arriving in

Bohol, López de Legazpi noticed the hostility of the people. The Malayan servant explained that such hostility

was due to the expeditions conducted by the Portuguese from the Moluccas islands. In 1563, Portuguese fleets

arrived in Visayan waters and enslaved about 1,000 inhabitants.^[4] López de Legazpi, with the help of the

 Malayan sailor, explained to the tribes in Bohol that they were not Portuguese and that they had come to the

islands to trade. Upon learning this, the chieftains and their tribes became friendlier and welcoming to the

Spaniards.