Sandugo Blood Compact Site

Overview

The Sandugo Blood Compact Site in Barangay Hinawanan, Loay, marks what the National Historical Institute (NHI) identified in 2005 as the authentic location of the sandugo — the blood compact ceremony between Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, chieftain of Bohol, on 16 March 1565.

The ceremony is regarded as the first formal treaty of friendship between Spaniards and Filipinos. In the ritual, each man cut his left arm, mixed his blood into a cup of wine, and drank it. The Visayan word sandugo translates as “one blood.”

The compact was conducted aboard Legazpi’s flagship San Pedro, anchored off what is now Hinawanan Bay. The NHI’s resolution cited the historical account in the Collection de Documentos de Ultramar — General Legazpi’s expedition records — which described a deep well between two rivers near the anchorage. This well, known as Sikatuna’s well and dated to around 1200 AD, still exists in Barangay Hinawanan and can be visited. Legazpi’s men drew water from it and brought it back to the galleon.

Every March 25, Loay celebrates the Higalaay Festival in commemoration of the sandugo.

Location

Barangay Hinawanan, Loay, Bohol. The site is situated along the coast of Hinawanan Bay, approximately 18 km east of Tagbilaran City by road.

Note on the competing Bool site: A well-known commemorative monument sculpted by National Artist Napoleon Abueva — five life-sized bronze figures around a table — stands in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City. That monument draws the majority of visitors, but the NHI delisted Bool as the definitive site in 2005 because the historical evidence pointed to Loay. As of 2024, development of the Loay-Villalimpia site was underway to establish a proper heritage marker at the location supported by documentary evidence.

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City, take a bus or jeepney heading toward Jagna or Loay. Alight at Loay proper, then hire a habal-habal to Barangay Hinawanan. Travel time from Tagbilaran is approximately 30–40 minutes.

[TO ENRICH: specific fare, whether a formal marker or visitor infrastructure exists at the site]

Practical Info

• Entry fee: Free entrance. Open 24/7. Public historical landmark located in Tagbilaran City.
• Best visited: during Higalaay Festival (around March 25) when Loay holds commemorative events
• Nearest town center: Loay poblacion
• The historic well in Barangay Hinawanan is a tangible remnant accessible to visitors

What to Expect

The Loay site is a historically significant but relatively undeveloped heritage location compared to the Bool monument in Tagbilaran. Visitors come primarily for its documentary authenticity. Sikatuna’s well — the physical feature cited in Legazpi’s expedition records — can be seen in the barangay.

The Higalaay Festival in late March brings street events and commemorative programs to Loay, making that period the most active time to visit.

Notes

• The Bool monument in Tagbilaran remains the more widely visited sandugo landmark; confirm which site you intend before traveling
• Research confidence for the Loay location: high — supported by NHI Resolution No. 04 of 2005 and the expedition records of Collection de Documentos de Ultramar
• Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandugo