More balikbayans, foreign tourists expected at Saulog Festival 2025

Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap. | Photo grabbed from the city government’s live video

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Tagbilaran City Government promises a grandiose celebration as they welcome balikbayans and foreign tourists coming from around the world to this year’s Saulog Festival.

But Mayor Jane Yap gave the assurance that their preparations will have minimal cost to the city since most of the Saulog Tagbilaran activities will be sponsored by their private sector partners.

Yap said the city government is coordinating with travel and tour agencies to bring home Tagbilaranons who are in other parts of the world for them to join this year’s celebration.

In addition, they are also looking forward having more foreign tourists visit their city, especially during the Saulog Street Dancing and Ritual Showdown Competition on April 27.

READ: Celebrating 460 years of friendship: Tagbilaran welcomes the world as Saulog 2025 unfolds

“We are coordinating with tour agencies for tourists, not only Boholanos, not only Filipinos, but all races to join us in Saulog Tagbilaran,” she said.

Saulog Festival

The festival was formally launched last March 16, together with the 460th anniversary of the historic blood compact between Boholano chieftain, Datu Sikatuna, and Spanish General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

READ: Saulog Festival to boost tourism recovery in Tagbilaran City, rest of Bohol – Mayor Yap

It started the offering of flowers at the Blood Compact Monument located at the Friendship Park in Brgy. Bool in Tagbilaran City that is considered as the heart and soul of the Province of Bohol.  A short program followed.

“Four hundred and sixty years ago, this act of friendship and alliance laid the foundation of mutual understanding, signifying the Boholanos’ willingness to embrace peace over conflict, cooperation over division,” Yap said in her message.

| A presentation depicting the historic blood compact during the launch of Saulog Tagbilaran 2025. | CDN Digital photo

Strong Partnership

To make the celebration even more memorable, Bohol Governor Erico Aris Aumentado joined the Saulog launch for the first time.

“Tonight, I would like to emphasize that the presence of our beloved Governor of the Province of Bohol joining this year’s Tagbilaran City Saulog opening and Blood Compact commemoration is a sign of a strong partnership between the provincial government led by Governor Aris Aumentado and the city government under the Yap-Jala administration,” Yap said.

Aumentado, for his part, said that he was very honored to have been part of this year’s Saulog Festival launch.

“Saulog will serve as a window that will showcase the best of Tagbilaran and Bohol, in general,” he said.

“We have witnessed how Tagbilaran has grown over the years and Saulog is one way of offering our deepest gratitude to the Almighty through the intercession of St. Joseph the worker,” Aumentado added.