The
Sandugo was a
blood compact performed in native-
Bohol style between the traveling Spanish explorer
Miguel López de Legazpi and
Datu Sikatuna of
Bohol on
March 16,
1565 in the
Philippines to seal their friendship as part of the native custom. The pact was entered into by López de Legazpi for the purpose of insuring friendly relations between the Spaniards and the natives. This is considered as the first international
treaty of friendship between two people of different races, a
Filipino and a
Spaniard. "
Sandugo" is a
Visayan term meaning "one blood" (
san means one, and
dugo means blood). A hallmark of the Philippine province of Bohol, the
Sandugo is depicted in both the provincial flag and seal as symbol of the Boholanos' love for peace.
[1] It also features in both the
Tagbilaran City flag and seal; the lower portion depicts the blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Captain General Miguel López de Legazpi at Bool District, Tagbilaran City. The top of the seal indicates the ship and the place where López de Legazpi anchored and where the treaty of friendship was conducted on
March 16,
1565. Furthermore, the seal signifies that the City of Tagbilaran is the City of Peace and Friendship.
The
Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in
Bohol,
Philippines. It is composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills of about the same size, spread over an area of more than 50 kilometers². They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name. The Chocolate Hills is a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. It is featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attraction in the province. It is also in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines. Sometimes considered the "
Eighth Wonder of the World", it has been declared the country's 3rd National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the
UNESCO World Heritage List.
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