Video credits: S. A. Tutor via YouTube.com

In every city or province in the Philippines, festivals and anniversary celebrations are always present. Just like Cebu which has Sinulog, the Bacolod City for their Maskara Festival, Iloilo City for their Dinagyang Festival and the list goes on and on.

Bohol, my home province also has its own festival and that has been derived from a historical event between the ancient men in the personality of Datu Sikatuna, a chieftain in Bohol, and Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi who had a treaty in the island itself.

This event is a well known annual activity in the province and which is why most of the locals living in the other parts of the province would always aim to get to the main city to witness the events held. The festive event is referred as Sandugo Festival.

Image credits: boholsandugofestival

The Sandugo Festival is an annual historical celebration that takes place every year in Tagbilaran City on the island of Bohol in the Philippines. This festival commemorates the Treaty of Friendship between Datu Sikatuna, a chieftain in Bohol, and Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. This 16th-century peace treaty occurred on March 16, 1565 through a blood compact or "sandugo".

The Sandugo Festival is held every July. The Tagbilaran City Charter Day on July 1 kicks-off the month-long festival with a holy mass, diana, motorcade and program sponsored by the City Government of Tagbilaran. Among the major activities during the month is the Miss Bohol Sandugo Beauty Pageant, and the Sandugo Street Dancing Competition which is usually held on the 3rd or 4th Sunday of July, and organized by the Bohol Sandugo Foundation, Inc. (BSFI).

Information reference: boholsandugofestival.official

Image credits: philippinecountry.com

In our town, we don't call it Blood Compact at all, I was only aware about the Blood Compact term when I was already in my secondary year because we normally refer it as Sandugo. There are different activities which are held. It becomes a month long event and that has given the provincial government a chance to let the entire towns of the province join and participate in the competitions and activities.

Blood Compact in Tagbilaran City. Image credits: flickr.com

But the best thing that really shocks everyone of us when we learned about the history of it is the fact that both parties, Datu Sikatuna and Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi drank small amount of each others' blood but it has combined wine with the drink. This was just how the treaty works before, a ritual to seal the friendship, the native way. Below, I am showing to you the history of the month long event.

History of Sandugo Festival

Image credits: boholsandugofestival.official

The blood compact was referred as the first international treaty of friendship and comity between the Filipinos and Spaniards. The month long activity started as follows:

The annual celebration of the Sandugo Festivities begins in the month of March. However the street dancing competitions have been changed to July to coincide with the annual TBTK (Tigum Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan) translated into English, literally or otherwise - a gathering of Boholanos (the people of Bohol) from around the world. Tagbilaran City not only rejoices its Charter Day on the month of July but also the Province of Bohol which became a separate politico-military province on July 22, 1854, thereby creating a festive mood for the whole month.

Information reference: philippinecountry.com

The first ever Sandugo Festival was held on 1989 and of which th grand champion of hte Street Dancing competition was the Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital and from 1991, the event was spearheaded by the Bohol Sandugo Foundation Inc. because of the inadequate support from the government and private sectors. Until this day, the BSFI still is managing the events and the specific activities done during the entire month.

Bohol Celebrates Sandugo Festival Today

Image credits: raulgatal.blogspot.com

Image credits: raulgatal.blogspot.com

After a few challenges that the province of Bohol had encountered such as the 2014 great earthquake which had given Bohol more than a month of no electricity and that most historical churches have been destroyed, the port area of Tagbilaran City almost disappeared as it was eaten by land as well as the recent terrorism act by the ASG or the Abu Sayyaf Group where they had somehow found a way to hostage locals in Inabanga.

Even so, the Boholanos had been resilient to these challenges and still was able to continue with the festive celebration for the year. We had overcome the challenges and our lives had moved on since.

So this year, the highlights of the festival focuses on the Grand Street Dancing competition as well as hailing the Miss Bohol Pageant.

Here are the schedule of activities:

June 19 – 30 – Sandugo Night Market (5PM – 2AM), CPG Sports Complex – Goods, Carnival, Cultural Shows, Nightly Entertainment
June 19 – 30 – Sandugo Food Festival (5PM – 2AM), CPG Sports Complex
June 30 – HNU Chorale & Diwanag Dance Company (7PM), CPG Sports Complex
July 2 – Fun Run (4:30AM)
July 7 – Loboc Youth Ambassador’s Band (7PM), CPG Sports Complex
July 8 – Miss Bohol 2017 Talent Night Bohol (7PM), Cultural Center
July 9 - “Color Me” Run
July 14 – Boxing Competition (7PM), CPG Sports Complex
July 15 – 16 – Swimming Competition (9AM), CPG Sports Complex
July 16 – Dragonboat Competition Miramar (7AM), Dauis
July 17 – 30 Sandugo Arts Festival 2017 Bohol Cultural Center – Photography Contest and Exhibit, “Lalik” Festival, Literary, Painting Exhibit
July 19 – 23 – DTI Product Showcase (9AM – 9PM), Island City Mall
July 20 – Sandugo Song Festival 2017 (7PM), Bohol Cultural Center
July 21 – 30, Fusion Nights Food Festival 2017 CPG Sports Complex
July 21 – LUPAE (Lungosranon Performing Arts Ensemble of Tubigon) (7PM), CPG Sports Complex
July 22 – Miss Bohol 2017 Pageant Night (7PM), Bohol Wisdom School Gym
June 23 – Alicia Bamboo Ensemble (7PM), CPG Sports Complex
July 28 – Dimiao Children’s Rondalla (7PM), CPG Sports Complex
July 29 – Balik sa Bohol 2017 Parade (1PM), CPG Avenue – CPG Sports Complex
July 29 – Balik sa Bohol 2017 Welcome Dinner (7PM), Bohol Tropics Resort
July 29 – Bangga sa Kuradang ug Subli sa Sandugo (1PM – 7PM), CPG Avenue – CPG Sports Complex

Information reference: boholic.com

Miss Bohol Pageant 2017

Image credits: boholbloggers.com

As the Philippines has been winning different battles of pageants and even modeling competition within Asia as well as worldwide, beauty pageants had been becoming a serious topic and event in the entire country. That is why each region, province and city would go extra mile to set up the beauty pageant that could possibly produce the best candidate to be hailed as the mere representative of that city to also compete in the national level.

So Bohol itself has been also trying hard to produce the same. That is why, the very main focus of the Sandugo Festival is the Miss Bohol 2017 competition.

From the presentation of candidates, to their talent night, to photoshoot and its pageant night, Bohol is stepping up its level. If I could point out my favorite part of the competition, that would be the photoshoot. Every year, the concept of their photoshoot has been becoming world class.

This year, it has a set up a foliage design by the Blue Grass Project which was really stunning as follows:

 

Video credits: Pageanthology 101 via YouTube.com

Although my home town is Guindulman, I am picking Miss Loon as my bet for this section of the competition. Her photograph below shows how beautiful and sophisticated she is and she gave justice to the concept of the photoshoot, in my own opinion.

Image credits:www.facebook.com/missboholofficial/" target="_blank">missboholofficial

The Pageant night occurred last July 22, 2017 and the judges of the said competition were really people coming from different sectors of the country as follows:

Film Director Tony Y. Reyes
Chief Legal Counsel of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte Atty. Salvador Panelo
President of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines Ms Ria Christina Farinas
Commercial Head Philippines AirAsia Gerard Penaflor
Fashion Ambassador Rene Salud
Bb. Pilipinas International 2017 Mariel De Leon
Ms Earth Philippines 2017 Karen Ibasco
Miss Global Philippines 2017 Mary Ann Mungcal
TV Actress Rich Asuncion

Information reference: boholbloggers.com

Image credits: boholbloggers.com

This year's Miss Bohol is Miss Tubigon and the runners up are as follows:

1st Runner up - Miss Loon
2nd Runner up - Miss Calape
3rd Runner up - Miss Tagbilaran
4th Runner up - Miss Jagna

Image credits: missboholofficial

The grand winner won Php 70,000 while the first runner up won Php 50,000. The second runner up got Php 40,000 and so on. It was a night of beauty and personality, each of the winners deserved their titles.

The rest of the activities will commence by the latter part of the month. I will soon be blogging about the festival's street dance competition which is very similar to Cebu's famous Sinulog. Watch out for it soon.

Support women empowerment here in this Querlo blog below:

 

Best regards,

Jean Beltran-Figues