Festivals
Bohol 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).
MISS BOHOL SANDUGO 2011
It’s a back to back victory for the Municipality of Tubigon as FARRAH FAYE A. MIAN (center) was crowned as the 2011 Miss Bohol Sandugo. Flanking her is her royal court,1st Runner-Up ELY ROSE APPLE ANGCON ( Loon) and AIMEE ANN NAPIÑAS ANUNCIADO (Catigbian). Photo credit: Leo P. Udtohan
BOHOL SANDUGO STREET DANCING 2011
There were only 8 contingents who joined the streetdancing competition. It was not a streetdancing but a street parade. Many of the contingents preferred to walk rather than to perform to save their “best performance” in the showdown inside the CPG Complex. – by leo udtohan
Charter Day
Celebrated every 1st of July and it also marks the launching of the famous Sandugo festival which is a month long festival in Tagbilaran. This day is declared by the city government as a special non-working holiday within the city of Tagbilaran.
Flores de Mayo Festival
This is a month long festival in May celebrated in Tagbilaran that is commonly called as the Flowers of May Festival. This is to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the city’s patron through daily novenas and mass. The devotees offer flowers to the Blessed Mother and children wear costumes to look like angels while participating on the rites. Children are taught how to pray through catechesis while learning various religious songs and dances with games. A coronation program for the search of Flower of May is also celebrated during this festival.
Feast of San Vicente Ferrer
This is a festivity celebrated every April 3rd through solemn novenas and mass along with fanfare activities highlighted with dances and various competitions. Every household prepares a food as a form of thanksgiving for the blessings of good harvest and good fortune among the town folks.
The Lenten Festival
The town folks of Tagbilaran celebrate the Lenten Season in solemnity through Visita Iglesia and procession to the Stations of the Cross. They also celebrate a pilgrimage to Elley Hill, processions of Santo Entiero and La Soledad.
The Blood Compact Festival
The treaty friendship between ardent leaders Datu Sikatuna of Bohol and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi of Spain took place in the form of a blood compact which is an act of shedding blood between these leaders. This historical event is commemorated in Tagbilaran every March 16 and is officially declared to be a special working holiday.
Foundation Day of Tagbilaran
This is celebrated as the town festival commemorating the foundation of Tagbilaran City which was formerly known as San Jose de Tagbilaran and is celebrated by the Tagbilaran City government every February 9.
The Ubi Festival
Celebrated every 15th to 19th of January, the Ubi Festival gives the local farmers the opportunity to showcase their ubi products such as pastillas, ube jam, cakes and other palatable concoctions. This yearly activity is most looked forward to by sweet purple jam lovers while the elder folks teach the younger generations to associate this food as holy.
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