If Cebuanos take pride of Lapu-lapu who became the first Filipino who fought and killed Ferdinand Magellan who led the first group of Spanish explorers haplessly to the Philippines, the Boholanos also have their very own Datu Sikatuna. He, a native of Bool—a barangay of Tagbilaran City—became the first Filipino ambassador of peace and goodwill.
The pact between the two Boholano Kings(Sikatuna, Sigala) and Legazpi is a defining moment for the history of the Philippines as it paved the way for the colonization of the islands by the Spaniards. Officially, Bohol is the place where the first Spanish settlement was established after the expedition was turned-away in Cebu. Only the following month in April of 1565 when the conquistador decided to build a permanent settlement in Cebu with the assurance of help from Rajah Sikatuna and Rajah Sigala. And from there, the Spanish colonization of the Philippines started with the eventual establishment of Manila as the capital of the colony. It is also in Manila where Legazpi died.
He carried out this role when he performed a blood compact with Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who traced the footsteps of the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan and successfully led the next batch of Spaniards to set foot in the archipelago. Held on March 16, 1565, this unprecedented feat in Philippine history is considered to be as the first “Treaty of Friendship” between a European and an Asian.
Essentially, the blood compact was forged between these two chieftains for the purpose of creating cordial and diplomatic relations between the two very different kingdoms – it was a political event. In commemoration of this historical event, a life-size diorama made up of pure bronze is erected just few meters from the exact location where the ritual was made. The statues depict what happened during that commemorative event, and in a way by serve as an evidence of Bohol’s rich history.
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