Sanduguan or Pacto de Sangre Shrine

New Washington is best known in the province for the Blood Compact Celebration or the Pacto de Sangre in Spanish. This annual tradition held every March 1 to 3 has been a significant part in the municipality’s history. The celebration is done in commemoration of the Aklanon heroes who have sacrificed their own lives just to liberate fellow Filipinos from colonization of the Spanish forces. PACTO DE SANGRE Spanish term which means blood compact, or “sandugo” in Aklanon dialect, become a by word the agitated peasants. Almost every able bodied young man outside the pueblos and even those with the good graces of the Spaniards who had been upon the “indios” (Filipino natives) became an “insurrecto”, a registerd rebel during the Spanish colonial rule Secret initiations of members of the local revolutionary or the so called “Katipuneros” occurred in many places: in Tamabak in Batan; in Mabilo and Nalook, Kailbo; Libas, Banga; in Liloan, Malinao; and in the barrios of Lezo, Ibajay, Balete, Termino (now Altavas) and further down the boarders of Sapian, Capiz the most signifanct series of these enlistment was that in Kuntang, FRonda Lagatik, on March 3, 1987, when a handful of young men were initiated on the right of tearing their “cedula” there and they signed with their own blood on a piece of document, a revolutionary declaration of freedom and independence for the Filipinos and defiance from the Spanish authorities. To this day, the Municipality of New Washington (which formerly named Fonda Lagatik) celebrates “Pacto De Sangre” on this date as an official holiday. The leaders who came to join the Katipunan were Teodorico Motus, Cornelio Delfin, Pedro Pamatian, Isidro Jimenez. Isidro Madayag, Canuto Segovia, Gavino Sucgang, Valeriano Dalida, Albino Rabaria, Benito Motus, Juan Dalida, and Romualdo Dalida.