Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Taipei City Government organized a special event on July 5 to celebrate the Philippine Sandugo Festival at the 228 Memorial Park. On behalf of Taipei’s residents, Mayor Hau Lung-bin expressed his gratitude to the contribution of migrant workers to the development of the city.
The mayor joined Representative Antonio Basilio of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office at the main ceremony; before toasting, the two men made the signs of opening a cut on their wrists to forge a blood compact, reenacting the scene of the original ceremony several hundred years ago.
Interrupted by a sudden downpour halfway through his address, Hau noted that the revelers are so passionate that even the rain cannot quench their excitement. He remarked that this year’s celebration is even more meaningful by choosing the 228 Memorial Park for the activity venue, as the park symbolizes harmony between different groups of people.
He praised the workers from the Philippines for taking on many important tasks in the city. Among the 37,000 foreign workers in Taipei, there are approximately 8,000 Filipinos. The majority of these workers work in the fields of domestic housekeeping and care giving.
The Sandugo Festival is an annual event that takes place every year at the island of Bohol in central Philippines. The event commemorates the peace treaty and friendship between Chieftain Datu Sikatuna of Bohol Island and Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1565.