At 97, Apo Whang-Od (or Fang-Od) is the oldest and the last Mambabatok (traditional tattoo artist) in Kalinga, Mountain Province. There’s been a collective outcry to declare her as a National Artist, and for good reason.
Read: Q&A with photographer Jake Verzosa, author of the book “The Last Tatooed Women of Kalinga”
Everyday, dozens of tourists — locals and foreigners — brave the mountains of Kalinga to get a tattoo from Whang-Od.
On social media, there are multiple stories of her being overworked. Some even say she’s so busy that she is unable to get a decent meal. let alone drink a glass of water.
Thankfully, she’s no longer the only mambabatok in the country. Meet Den Wigan from Kalinga. He is now the resident tattoo artist of Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo, just an hour away from Manila.
According to Pinto Art Museum’s Facebook post, “He is the grandson of Whang-Od, the mambabatok of Kalinga. His grandfather did the tattoo of Whang-od and he learned his art from them. Den brings to Pinto his heritage of timeless artistry!”
Whang-Od has no known children, descendants or blood relatives.
So we are yet to verify Pinto Art Museum’s claim that Wigan is her grandson.
However, Wigan’s technique speaks for itself. He uses charcoal paste and the traditional mambabatok stick with a pointed end (Whan-Od uses a thorn from a citrus tree like calamansi).
Whether or not Wigan is related to Whang-Od, we’re glad there are other people who will carry on her legacy and the ancient artistry of being a mambabatok.
