Sandugo Festival
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).
The Sandugo Street Dancing
In 2010, the Street Dancing Competition will be held on July 25. The
competition is usually participated in by schools, the city and municipal
governments, boholano organizations abroad, and even contingents from
other provinces. The competition starts at noon at the City Pier, passes
through the city's major streets, and culminates at the Pres. Carlos P. Garcia
Sports Complex where a Sandugo Re-enactment is held. The final judging
of the competition will be held at the Complex where the participants will
again perform for the audience. The winners receive thousands of pesos in prizes.
Aside from the activities organized by the city and provincial governments
and by the BSFI, are other activities sponsored by various private sectors
like nightly shows and trade/food fair at the City Pier, product showcase,
concerts, medical and surgical missions, and others