WHANG-OD: The Last Traditional Tattoo Artist of Kalinga

THE LAST TRADITIONAL TATTOO ARTIST OF KALINGA

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Growing up, getting a tattoo never crossed my mind. I’m pretty sure my parents would be against it and there’s this strong social stigma surrounding tattoos. I soon changed tune when I entered college and pursued Fine Arts. I now see it as a work of art and a form of self expression. But not really enough to convince me in getting one.

Whang-od is a legendary tattoo artist that every tattoo enthusiast should meet. She’s the Philippines’ oldest tattoo artist at roughly 100 years old and the last from the Butbut tribe. Also known as the Last Mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattoo artist), she has been doing this ancient art of batok or hand-tapped tattoos since she was 15 years old.

Headhunters earn their tattoos by protecting their villages and killing their enemies. It signifies bravery and courage. While women of the tribe ink their skins for aesthetic purposes. Apo is trying to keep the tradition alive to her bloodline by training her grandnieces, Grace and Elyang. This Visual Series is all about my journey in meeting the National Living Treasure, Whang-od.

CHICO RIVER. One of the stunning landscapes you’ll get to see on your way to Tinglayan.

KALINGA

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RICE TERRACES. Lush green landscapes await you in Kalinga.

Getting a tattoo from this legendary artist would mean braving long travel hours and a really tiring trek to the mountains. But before you can start with the trek, you’ll have to navigate through a series of tight bends on the road. It looked easy for the jeepney drivers but I tried stay awake the entire trip and prepare myself for anything that could happen.

LONG AND WINDING ROAD. The road going to Tinglayan is not for the faint-hearted.

PUBLIC JEEPNEY. The only mode of transport from Bontoc to Tinglayan.

You’ll get two options when riding the public transport going to Tinglayan, the jump-off point to Buscalan. You can either stay inside comfortably or opt to sit on top of the jeepney and enjoy the cold breeze while feasting your eyes with the lush green landscapes of Kalinga. I chose the latter.

FRESH AIR. Riding the jeepney in Kalinga is best experienced by sitting on top of it.

It’s definitely something tourists should experience when in the Philippines. Most of the jeepneys in the provinces allow this option. It could get scary for first timers but it’s fun once you get used to it. Safety is always the priority so ask help from the locals when needed and make sure to hold tight to avoid accidents. There are occasional stops due to farm animals blocking the way. Something you’ll get used to after visiting provinces in the country.

KING OF THE ROAD. Farm animals rule the roads of Kalinga.

One interesting observation I had along the way was a lot of their houses have tombs outside. I’m not really sure about the reason for this but I think it has something to do with their culture or maybe the absence of a public cemetery.

TOMB. Locals bury their loved ones just outside their houses.

I was greeted by these kids when we arrived in Tinglayan. The locals here are really friendly and welcoming. I snapped some photos of them and they gave me smiles in return. Our guide was waiting there at the jump-off point and we immediately started the trek. They helped us with our large backpacks. Something I was truly grateful for since it was a really steep climb going to the village.

FRIENDLY LOCALS. These smiles will welcome you to Tinglayan.

We rest every once in a while and seeing the stunning landscapes while catching our breaths helped us gain some strength to continue.

TAKE A BREAK. During the trek, you may stop and rest while enjoying stunning views.

Seeing the town from above meant we’ve travelled far enough and there’s no turning back. I haven’t really explored the town well since it was getting late and we have to reach the village before it gets dark.

NO TURNING BACK. The view of the town from the top of a mountain.

What seemed like a crack on the side of the mountain is actually the path we’ve taken to reach the village. We met other travellers along the way and news that Apo Whang-od was not around started spreading. I stayed optimistic and continued with the trek.

TRAVELLER’S PATH. Tourists trek through this cleared path to reach Buscalan.

BUSCALAN

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After a few hours of trek, we finally reached the village. Everyone was tired but happy when we finally saw this signage welcoming us to Buscalan.

BUSCALAN. Creatively designed signage at the entrance of the village.

SIMPLE LIFE. The main source of livelihood for the locals are farming and livestock.

Buscalan is a remote community in the middle of the mountains. I did a quick tour to get a glimpse into their way of living. The locals live a simple life. Farming and raising livestock are their main sources of livelihood.

HANDMADE TOY. A kid from Buscalan fixing his handmade toy.

HOMESTAY. A lot of houses were converted to homestays for tourists.

PLAYFUL. Kids love interacting with tourists despite the language barrier.

DAY-TO-DAY LIFE. Houses are built closely to each other.

The signal is weak in the area so they had to hang their mobile phones to communicate with tourists. I realized after seeing this how hard it was for our guide to contact us. It made sense why they’d prefer texts over calls.

NO SIGNAL. Villagers try different ways to get a signal.

The homestay is owned by Charlie, one of the popular tour guides in the area that most bloggers recommend. Guests stay in a room inside his house. I got to meet the other guests when I reached the room. Everyone but me went there to get a tattoo from Apo Whang-od. They all started to convince me about getting one but I told them I was just there to meet the legendary artist.

HUMBLE ABODE. One of the homestays in Buscalan.

Charlie prepared some local food for everyone and started setting up hammocks outside the room. We later ended up sleeping on these hammocks instead.

HAMMOCKS. These are available for free in Charlie’s homestay.

You would know right away that a lot of artists have been here. Stickers from different artists and brands were displayed everywhere.

STICKERS. Artists display their brand on walls and ceilings.

Names and travel quotes can also be seen on the walls and ceilings.

WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO? A popular Filipino quote about travelling to escape heartbreaks.

While everyone in the city have cats and dogs as pets, families in Buscalan have wild boars. You’ll see them in every house. I couldn’t resist asking if they cook and eat them. I was told that they don’t do it that much since they treat these wild boars like how we treat our pets at home.

PETS. Wild boars can be seen everywhere in the village.

I had fun seeing them running around. There’s a wild boar in every corner of the village.

WILD BOAR. These pets run around every corner of the village.

Our tour guide told us that we’re lucky that night because a number of kids were celebrating their birthdays and the community is throwing a celebration for them. We right away asked if we could go and join the party. Charlie brought us to a hall where most of the villagers were gathered.

TRIBAL DANCE

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CELEBRATION. The community gathered to celebrate the birthdays of some kids.

I’ve always wanted to witness traditions like this that I only get to see on documentaries. I observed quietly as it slowly sank in that I’m actually seeing this right before my eyes. It was really dark but I remember every detail of it.

Part of the program was the dance ritual. Musical instruments were laid down on the ground and one guy is placing different types of snacks on top of them. These served as freebies for the men who’d want to join the traditional dance.

TREATS. Snacks are given to guests and dancers who participate in the ritual.

Once there’s enough number of volunteers, they all agreed on the beat they’ll be using for the dance. They then formed a circle and danced while playing the beat with their gongs.

BEAT. Men try out some beats before deciding which one to use.

Ladies started to join and danced around the guys. I’m inspired seeing how united the community was. You don’t get to see gatherings like this in cities anymore. Everyone in the tribe participated until dawn. I was happy to know that they were able to preserve a beautiful tradition.

TRADITIONAL DANCE. Men and women dance gracefully forming a circle.

The dancing kept going with different volunteers each round. At some point during the celebration, the chieftain acknowledged our presence and asked us if we could join the dancing to which we willfully obliged.

CHIEFTAIN. The chieftain leads the ceremony.

That was one of the highlights of this trip. I was hoping to see Whang-od that night but villagers were saying that Apo will be arriving the next day from a trip to her dentist.

DAWN. The celebration lasts until dawn the next day.

MEETING WHANG-OD

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We went to Whang-Od’s house early in the morning. Same day that we’re supposed to leave. We were told that Whang-od was on her way trekking the same path we took going here. That impressed me. Knowing how old she was, it was an amazing feat. My admiration for our ational Living Treasure have grown even more.

WHANG-OD’S HOUSE. Tattoo sessions are done outside Apo’s house.

The spot where the tattoo session will be done was well decorated with photographs of tourists and posters of Apo.

POSTER. Tourists leave behind photographs and posters for Apo.

PHOTOS. Guests display their photos on the ceiling of the hut.

TRADITIONAL TATTOOS

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Most tattoos have meanings. It could represent a milestone in one’s life or a symbol of a person or thing you value. You may choose from a book whichever symbol you want tattooed on your body. Each symbol has its own meaning. Whichever design you choose, Whang-od’s three-dot signature should be on it.

ANCIENT SYMBOLS. The book offers a wide selection of symbols to choose from.

MEANINGS. You’ll know the meanings of each symbol through this book.

Upon hearing that Apo already reached her house, we prepared ourselves. Meeting the Last Mambabatok was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I remember finding it hard to move when I saw her. I truly felt the presence of a living legend. We were all silent. And then the sad news came. Apo can’t accommodate everyone as of the moment. She’s not feeling well after the climb.

One thing you should keep in mind when meeting Whang-od is respect her privacy and personal time. There’s always the possibility that you won’t get what you came there for. There are times that Whang-od would only choose who she wants to tattoo and understand that she gets tired easily because of her age. Getting a tattoo from her is a privilege that not all can get. All the tourists respected the decision. Most of the foreigners left. Our guide offered some coffee and bread for us to eat before leaving. Another thing that Kalinga is known for is brewed coffee. They have one of the best tasting coffee in the country.

BREWED COFFEE. One of the best tasting coffee in the country.

It turned out that the decision to stay for a while was right. Just when we were all ready to leave, we were informed that Apo changed her mind after resting but would only tattoo her three-dot signature. I got excited for them. At this point, the idea of getting a tattoo began crossing my mind. I was thinking about what one of the guests told me - getting a tattoo from Whang-od means being part of her legacy. This is something that only a few can claim.

A lot of thoughts came to my mind but I didn’t realize I was now sitting on a chair in front of Apo. I just couldn’t say no. I then told her I want it on my left foot. I made this decision thinking that it won’t be that visible and it could mean a lot of things to me. It wasn’t an easy decision. I have a low threshold for pain and fear of needles.

WHANG-OD. Apo prepared everything she needs for the tattoo session.

THORNS, CHARCOAL, AND BAMBOO STICKS

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The art of Batek needs only a few things to get a tattoo done - thorns, charcoal, and bamboo sticks. Thorns from a citrus tree is stuck on a bamboo stick while charcoal mixed with water served as ink. The bamboo stick is then tapped by another stick to push ink into the skin.

HAND-TAPPED. According to other tourists, the pain level for hand-tapped tattoos is higher compared to machines.

The pain I felt was just like how I imagined it to be. The first few taps were bearable but when she was trying to correct the design and tapped at the same spot again, that’s when I started pinching my hands to redirect the pain. I breathed one huge sigh of relief when I realized that it’s over. I felt proud and honored.

THREE-DOT SIGNATURE. The three dots represent Apo, Grace and Elyang.

We then asked for a photo with Apo. She was playful the entire time. She’s speaking a different dialect but I understood some of it since it’s quite similar to another dialect that I know, Ilocano. We noticed that she was wearing a Miss Philippines sash commonly used in beauty pageants. Like beauty queens, she made the country proud by sharing her art form to the rest of the world and inspiring everyone to preserve culture and traditions.

NEW FRIENDS. These strangers turned into my friends during the trip.

BONTOC

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We left the village right after getting our tattoos. The trek going down was fairly easy. We were walking quite fast since we’re trying to catch the last bus going back to Bontoc.

EASY TREK. A fairly easy trek back to Tinglayan.

STUNNING VIEW. Kalinga’s way of saying goodbye.

My left foot started to swell when we arrived in Bontoc. It turned out that choosing my left foot was quite the wrong decision since the trek would surely put a strain on it compared if it was on other parts of my body. I had a hard time walking the next day but it’s all worth it.

TOWN. Scenic view of the town.

I believe I have somehow earned this tattoo. It may not be through heroic means like the headhunters from the Butbut tribe but I have earned it by being brave. Brave enough to try something new and learn from it. Nothing can substitute experience. Buscalan is where I got my best travel souvenir yet.

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Thank you for viewing! Let me know what you think of this series.

Warmest regards,
@legendarryll