Datu Sikatuna (orCatunao) was aDatu or chieftain ofBo-ol in the island ofBohol in thePhilippines. He made a blood compact (sanduguan) and alliance with theSpanish explorerMiguel López de Legazpi on March 25, 1565 at Hinawanan Bay, barangay Hinawanan,Loay.[1] Their blood compact is the first Treaty of Friendship betweenSpain and the Philippines.[2] The previous site of the pact was thought to have been at barangayBool,Tagbilaran City but later a panel of historians concluded that the event actually happened at barangay Hinawanan,Loay, Bohol as ratified through Resolution No. 4, issued by theNational Historical Institute in 2005.[3]
The brothers, Datu Pagbuaya and Datu Dailisan, were rulers ofBo-ol before the arrival of theSpaniards.[4] The vast kingdom has control over the present-dayBohol,Siquijor,Tanjay,Northern Mindanao from Zamboanga to Surigao;Southern Leyte, and Eastern Mindanao up toDavao Oriental, with its capital atTagbilaran Strait.[5] Datu Sigala and Datu Sikatuna were relatives of the two previously mentioned brothers, recorded asminor chiefs. Sigala was older than Sikatuna, who was said to have a higher rank. The auxiliary word "Si" is the nominative prefix for minor chiefs of theVisayas, such as Si Catipan, Si Batumay, Si Maquio, and Si Cabon ofCebu, which is also similar to theSanskrit Sri honorific also used among otherprecolonial Philippine rulers, such as Sipad the Older, also known as Sri Pada ofLupah Sug. Sigala was the ruler ofLoboc centered in barangay Himilian, while Sikatuna was the chief ofBaclayon with his seat of government at barangay Guiwanon.[6][7]
When theSultanate of Ternate with the help of thePortuguese attacked Panglao in 1563, the surviving royal family sought refuge inDapitan. After the battle, Sikatuna was heavily wounded and Sigala took him in Himilian, Loboc to recuperate.[7] Sigala and Sikatuna chose to remain in Bohol and eventually became the caretakers of the kingdom. The destruction of the kingdom was earlier prophesied by a 15th-centurybabaylan (medium) named Karyapa (orCaryapa), the first known native poet of the pre-Philippines.[8]
On November 21, 1564,[9]El AdelantadoGovernor-General Miguel López de Legaspi led an expedition and departed fromBarra de Navidad,Mexico (formerlyNueva España) in search for spices and theSpice Islands as commissioned byViceroyLuis de Velasco by the royal order of KingPhilip II of Spain. With him wereAugustinian friars — Fr.Andrés de Urdaneta, also a known navigator served as their spiritual adviser, Fr.Martín de Rada, Fr. Diego de Herrera, Fr. Andrés de Aguirre, Fr. Lorenzo Jimenez de Esteban, and Fr. Pedro de Gamboa. Also included in the expedition were Spaniards — soldiersMartín de Goiti,Alonso de Arellano, Mateo del Saz, Melchor de Legaspi (Legaspi's son), Felipe de Salcedo (Legaspi's grandson), the future Governor-GeneralGuido de Lavezaris (successor of Legaspi), a survivor of the 1521Magellan's circumnavigation, and more than 200 others.[10] The expedition was composed of theCapitana, which carried on board Legazpi and Urdaneta, thegalleonsSan Pablo andSan Pedro, and theship's tendersSan Juan andSan Lucas.[11] This wasthe fifth, the last, and the most successful of all Spanish expeditions afterFerdinand Magellan in 1521,García Jofre de Loaísa in 1525,Sebastian Cabot in 1526,Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón in 1527, andRuy López de Villalobos in 1542 before Spanish colonization of the Philippines.[12]
The expedition reachedGuam on January 23, 1565;[13]Samar andLeyte on February 13;Limasawa on March 9; andCamiguin on March 11. On March 14, they attempted reach Butuan, but unfortunately drifted by strong currents to Bohol at night. On March 15 at daybreak, they arrived offshore atJagna, Bohol[14] and commissioned a light ship, San Juan to goButuan, while the rest will wait for them in Bohol.[9] While in Bohol, they captured a Bornean nativeparao (ship), piloted byTuasanmalea, also a Bornean.[7] The pilot narrated that the natives were already agitated with their arrival since the island was previously ransacked by foreigners, Ternatans and Portuguese two years earlier during the fall of Bool Kingdom.[9] On March 19, 1565, they landed at Hinawanan Bay in Loay, Bohol.[14]
Wary of the possible violent reaction from Boholanos, Legaspi tasked Tuasanmalea to look for the chief of the island as to make a friendly alliance with them, stressing that they aren't those barbaric Portuguese but rather peaceful Spaniards.[9] Tuasanmalea travelled through Loboc river from Hinawanan Bay (now part ofVillalimpia, Loay), 2 leagues (about 11 km) away to Himilian (Jimilian), the seat of government of Datu Sigala. However, during that time, Sigala was not in Himilian. Instead, Datu Sikatuna welcomed him and told the pilot to let their commander (Legaspi) come to make aSandugo with him as to seal their alliance. However, when Tuasanmalea returned, he only brought Santiago de Garnica, the constable-in-charge of water of Capitana.[13] Knowing that Garcina was not their leader, Sikatuna only allowed his son to make a blood compact with the former. Sikatuna then agreed to walk towards the shore to meet Legaspi.[7]
The next morning, Datu Sikatuna, accompanied with about 40 warriors and women arrived at the shoreline of Hinawanan. They were greeted by the Spaniards and eventually requested Sikatuna to board San Pedro and to meet Legaspi. With several Spaniards remained at the shore, Sikatuna agreed to board the flagship with 4 companions: Sibumanglar (Si Bumanglar), a Boholano, about 30 years old; Ximongoi (Si Mungoy), also a Boholano, 25 years old; Ceilan, a Bornean interpreter, about 35 years old; and Magut, also a Bornean, 25 years old. These Borneans were already in Bohol which either be merely traders or captives. These 4 companions executed 4 affidavits in the presence of Hernado Riquel,[9] Legaspi's chief clerk for administrative matters. The affidavits narrated the detailed events during the attack of the Portuguese and Ternateans in Bool Kingdom in 1563.[7]
Off the coast of Hinawanan Bay,Loay, Bohol and on the flagship San Pedro, the symbolicPacto de Sangre (Sandugo) between Datu Sikatuna and Governor-General Miguel López de Legaspi was performed, sealing the first treaty of peace and friendship on March 25, 1565.[7][3]
Another blood compact was performed, this time between Legaspi and Datu Sigala, the chieftain of Loboc on March 28, 1565. This Sandugo was said to be more consequential than the former since it was done in a more traditional manner. The wine used during their blood compact was the nativeTubâ (palm toddy) mixed in aHangot (coconut shell cup) instead of Spanish goblet. Sigala also shared acantaro (about 4 gallons) oftubâ and a nativelechon to the Spaniards, signifying the hospitality and generosity of Filipinos towards foreign cultures.[15]
While still in Bohol, Legaspi sent a frigate to explore the islands of Cebu. However, despite his instruction to return after eight days, the frigate failed to return even after 15 days. Saddened by the situation, Legaspi sought help and immediately requested Sigala and Sikatuna to find the frigate in Cebu. Accompanied with two Spanish soldiers, the two chiefs went to Cebu on board a large armed boat with thirty rowers. Unfortunately, the chiefs reported that the frigate was not there when they returned to Bohol.[14] Later, Legaspi decided to bring the whole fleet to Cebu on April 27, 1565 where they defeated Rajah Tupas, establishing the first Spanish colony in the Philippines,Villa del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús ("Town of the Most Holy Name of Jesus") and declaring it as its first capital.
On November 17, 1595, twoJesuit priests, Fr. Juan de Torres and Fr. Gabriel Sánchez, left Cebu and arrived in Baclayon. The Jesuits then organized a Christian community and Baclayon became aResidencia, the center of the Bohol missions under the supervision of theDiocese of Cebu.[16]
On July 16, 1597, Fr. Sánchez found the ageing Sikatuna in the hinterlands of Baclayon. The chieftain and his wife Albasea were then given thecatechism and baptised into theCatholic Church. They received Christian names:Joaquín andAna, after the parents of theBlessed Virgin Mary, whose feast day was on July 16. Icons of Saints Joachim and Anne are still found at the altar of the renovated Baclayon Church. The Jesuits were delighted that were able to convert Sikatuna, whom they found out to be the same chief who made the symbolic blood compact with Spanish conquistador Legaspi.
The Jesuits popularised the conversion of Sikatuna (under the name of Joaquín), which also aided them in the evangelization of the province. Thus, Sikatuna was often mistakenly declared the ruler of Bohol over the higher-ranked Datu Sigala, who never converted toChristianity.[7]
The Blood Compact (Spanish: El Pacto de Sangre) is a painting made as a commemoration of the pact by famous artistJuan Luna in 1886 and is permanently enshrined at theMalacañan Palace. On Luna's painting, it was his future brother-in-law and anIlustrado,Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, who posed as Legazpi, and national hero, Dr.Jose Rizal posed as Sikatuna. It was both exhibited inBarcelona and theUniversal Exposition at Saint Louis in 1904. Another similar painting was made by national artist,Carlos Modesto "Botong" Villaluz Francisco.[17]
The Blood Compact Shrine was made in commemoration of the blood compact locally known as theSandugo, which is located at barangayBool,Tagbilaran City. The said monument is a work by the renownedFilipino National Artist forsculpture andBoholano nativeNapoleon Veloso Abueva.