Happy Wednesday Hivers!
One of the historic events in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, is the Blood Compact. The Blood Compact was a traditional ritual among indigenous Filipinos, a way of forging alliances and friendships. It occurred in March 1565 between the Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and a local chieftain, Datu Sikatuna.
In this ceremony, a few drops of blood from each participant were mixed with wine or other liquids and then drunk to symbolize their newfound friendship and mutual trust. This act was significant as it marked the beginning of friendly relations between the Spanish and the local inhabitants.
Reference: Sandugo
The Boholanos built this Blood Compact Shrine as a reminder of a significant event in the past. This Blood Compact Shrine is one of the most visited tourist spots in Tagbilaran, Bohol. It is located in Brgy. Bool, Tagbilaran City, and is situated along the national road, making it easy to find.
This shrine is quite small, making it impossible to enjoy a leisurely walk. However, there's another spot located nearby, very close to the shrine. Surprisingly, only a few people are aware of it.
I was astonished when my tourist guide didn't know about the Friendship Park. I told him where it is situated, but he told me that he didn't know about the place. After we visited the Blood Compact Shrine, we asked someone where the Friendship Park is located, and an old man guided us along the pathway to get there.
Many tourists flocked to the shrine, but when you go down, there were only a few people around.
The Friendship Park is huge and offers a scenic view. I'm glad that it was cloudy during my visit because I was able to savor the view and the walk as the weather was just tolerable.
The jaw-dropping ocean scenery makes the place even more Instagram-worthy.
While walking, I noticed many old statues on the other side of the park. Out of curiosity, I checked the area because I wanted to learn more about those statues.
Somehow, I felt sad because the place is not well-maintained. Some statues are already damaged. Maybe this is the reason why this place has not been properly advertised yet, as it lacks maintenance.
I checked the inscriptions and they were familiar from my history lessons back when I was still a student. They represent the Boholano leaders, and one of them is a statue of our former Philippine president, Carlos P. Garcia, who was a Boholano.
Nature has overgrown the area. The place is actually nice, and these statues will help educate young Filipinos about our history and the people behind it, but it lacks maintenance. I hope the LGU will maintain and improve the area.
After we checked the statues, we continued to stroll around the area until I came across a deep well. I remembered my childhood when I had to fetch water from a deep well. It required a lot of patience, especially when the water level was quite deep.
After checking the deep well, I went to the grounds of the Friendship Park and simply enjoyed the walk. It was very peaceful. Since there were only a few people around, I didn't feel shy about doing whatever I wanted.
Since I still had a few tourist spots on my list for that day, I didn't stay there longer. Although it was just a short visit, I was able to savor the place.
We are deeply connected to the past. The liberty that we enjoy today is the result of the sacrifices made by our previous leaders. This is the reason why I enjoy visiting historic places because they remind me of how fortunate I am to live in these times.
From Tagbilaran City, you can hire a tricycle to take you to the Blood Compact Shrine. The travel time will only take approximately 10 minutes, and the fare is PHP 50.00. There's no entrance fee at the Blood Compact Shrine and Friendship Park.
Thank you for reading and see you on my next blog. Cheers!
Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.
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Namaste! I am fond of reading books, watching korean, american and filipino series/movies and I am also fond of gardening. I love listening to different life stories and I am always captivated with the beauty of nature so travel is my escape when life turns into blue. But hey, how could I forget my photography hobby? It is one of the best, so follow me as I will be featuring my experiences of the stuff that I am passionate with.