BOHOL VISAYAS

Blood Compact Shrine and the Church of Alburquerque, Bohol

January 28, 2019July 25, 2021 Rex Lim Lim 2019, ADVENTURE, alburquerque, BLOOD COMPACT SHRINE, BOHOL, CHURCH, GUIDE, HOW TO, ITINERARY, PINAS, SANDUGO, TAGBILARAN, TRANSIT, TRAVEL, TRAVEL GUIDE

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A long time ago, a fleet of vessels en route for Mindanao got caught up in a very bad weather that forced them to drop their anchors at the southeastern part of a nearby island.

But the locals are hostile to them, this forced them to transfer to another coast, much to their relief, they were received greatly by the chieftain because of their pleasing manner of approaching. That bond was then followed by a ritual toast, a local wine mixed with the blood of the two men that they also both drank to seal a long lasting friendship.

This local tale went down into our history as one of the firsts in our country. The two guys were named Miguel Lopez de Legazpi of Spain and Rajah Sikatuna of Bohol, yes, this is the first friendship treaty between two different races, religions, cultures and civilizations. It was a treaty of friendship based on respect and equality. This Sikatuna-Legaspi blood compact is commonly known as “Sandugo”.

They landed on the shores of Bohol on May 10, 1565, this historic treaty, ironically, was then followed by a 333 years of colonization by Spain.

Blood Compact Shrine of Lo-on

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Just a short ride from the capital city of Tagbilaran, 17 kilometers to the east, comes Brgy. Bo-ol where the historic site of the blood compact was done and is now where a monument was erected.

The Blood Compact Shrine, where a sculpture portraying five (5) life-sized images of men gathered around a table with Legazpi and Sikatuna supposedly making a toast, is made by one of our National Artists for Visual Arts.

The historic blood compact as depicted in this shrine made by Napoleon Abueva.

Napoleon Abueva, Nap as called by many, is called as the “Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture”. I personally met and assisted him when I was still working at the Cultural Center of the Philippines as a Front-of-House Staff.

Alburquerque Church

A short ride from the Blood Compact Shrine is Baclayon Church, which I wrote on a separate article, check it out here, Fascinating Stained Glasses and Ancient White Walls of Bohol – Baclayon Church.

After a rather quick tour of the Baclayon Church, another equally beautiful church got my attention while we are traversing the provincial road of Bohol. It was the Church of Alburquerque, or Albor Church, the town’s center of Catholic faith. Alburquerque, Bohol is known for Prony, the largest Python in captivity, and also for this imposing structure that is really hard to miss when you are going to Loboc as part of the country side tour (unless you’re already sleeping along the way already).

The facade is flanked by a bell tower in the very center, that is unusual since most of the ones we see have theirs in either both sides, or on one side only. Flanked by Palm Trees in a small plaza, you will also notice that the arcade entrance to the narthex is connected by a footbridge, that connects the main building to the Casa Parroquial. Inside, its ceiling is adorned by paintings, created by Ray Francia in the 1930s, which he signed on one side of the choir loft.

The three church retablos adorned by the beautiful murals on the ceiling.

What I also like about this church is its minimalism, although already over 120 years old when it was built in 1885, you will notice that the retablo and the podium is made up of local wood that is carved intricately. The details are definitely a sight to see.

Wood carvings along the retablo corners.

Made up of local wood, this wood carvings are one of the sights inside this church that you shouldn’t miss.

The church was also not spared during the 2013 earthquake that struck Bohol, but is now completely reconstructed.

Coming up! The Challenge of Taking Photos in Bohol’s Man Made Forest

How To Get There

From Tagbilaran City, take a tricycle or jeep going to Lo-on and alight at the Blood Compact Shrine at the right side of the road. The churches of Baclayon and Alburquerque is not far from the site and is also a jeep ride away. This is also part of the Bohol Country Side Tours if you want a hassle free travel. Need more info on how to go around Bohol? Check out this 2D1N Travel Guide HERE.

Bohol: Into the Tarsier Republic – Imagine Philippines, if not, all of its attractions all rolled into one ultimate destination, then Bohol is the place to be! From the curious chocolate colored hills, waterfalls, diverse marine biodiversity, white beaches, pristine islands, clingy Tarsiers, and rice terraces, this province is definitely your one stop shop travel destination. Follow my adventure series into this Visayan Gem, as I land into my 58th province last November 24, 2018!