BUSCALAN TINGLAYAN, Kalinga — I was inked last Holy Week in my right forearm with the iconic three dots tattoo by Apo Whang-Od, the so-called last and oldest surviving mambabatok. Batok refers to the traditional Filipino tattooing practice, particularly in…
CEBU CITY, Philippines – In the remote mountain province of Kalinga in Luzon, lives Maria Oggay or Apo Whang-Od, the country’s oldest mambabatok or traditional tattoo artist. In a place famous for its aromatic coffee, and steep-tilled…
