Barangay Hinawanan: Site of the Sandugo
Located 21 kilometers from Tagbilaran via the Bohol Circumferential Road is Hinawanan Bay in the town of Loay, where the flagship San Pedro of Spain docked on March 25, 1565. Onboard was the commander of the fleet Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who was invited by the local chieftain Rajah Sikatuna to a ceremonial pact known as Sandugo, in English, One Blood.
Seventeen years ago, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through Resolution No. 04, S. 2005, finally decided on the actual site of the Blood Compact after comprehensive research. A marker was officially installed in Loay to formally recognize barangay Hinawanan as the site. Annually in July, this friendship treaty is commemorated through a month-long feast all over Bohol – a momentous event that started the weaving of our rich heritage.
National Museum of the Philippines (2022)