The Living Legend

Whang-Od Oggay was born on February 17, 1917, and is also known by the name
Maria Oggay. She is a Filipino tattoo artist originally from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga,
Philippines. She is often referred to as the "last" and "oldest" mambabatok (traditional
Kalinga tattooist), and she is a member of the Butbut tribe, which is part of the larger
Kalinga ethnic group. She has been tattooing headhunters and women from the
indigenous Butbut people in Buscalan, Kalinga, since she was 15 years old, but the
Butbut warriors who used to earn tattoos by protecting villages or killing enemies are no
longer alive. Despite this, Whang-od continues to practice her traditional art form on
tourists who come to Buscalan. Whang-od began tattooing when she was 15 years old,
learning the traditional art form from her father, who is widely regarded as a master
tattooist in the Onggay region. Traditionally, only men with specific tattooing ancestry
were permitted to learn the craft. Whang-od was an exception due to her father's
recognition of her abilities and potential. In later life, Whang-chosen od's apprentices
were exclusively female, marking the first time in recorded Kalinga history that a
patrimonial tradition had been broken. Despite the fact that she was breaking with
tradition, her community supported her decision. She has been tattooing male
headhunters with the batok, a traditional hand-tapped tattoo, which they earn by
defending villages or killing enemies, for the past few years. Additionally, she tattoos
women of the Butbut tribe in Buscalan, Kalinga, primarily for the purpose of improving
their physical appearance. The tattooist, also known as the mambabatok, performed
fortune telling and chants while applying the tattoos to her clients' arms and legs. The
Mambabatok culture is represented in every design she creates through the use of
symbolic meanings. In the case of an eagle tattoo, it indicates that the warrior was
victorious in a battle when he returned from the field. The Mambabatok culture is
represented in every design she creates through the use of symbolic meanings. In the
case of an eagle tattoo, it indicates that the warrior was victorious in a battle when he
returned from the field. In fact, she got her first tattoo when she was a teenager, which
is a ladder and a python, which she still has. When women are tattooed in order to
display their beauty and wealth, the term "fatok" is used. It is customary for a woman's
arm to be tattooed in the same manner as Whang-tattoos, and the woman's family is
required to pay the tattoo artist in exchange for the tattoo (locally called "dalan"). Male
Butbut warriors are tattooed on their chests and arms, and the term "fi-ing" is used to
describe this practice. Whang-od used to be a fiddler before the government forbade
the practice of headhunting. Fi-ing was last practiced in 1972, according to historical
records.

Despite the fact that headhunters are no longer in existence, Whang-od continues to
tattoo tourists visiting Buscalan. She would no longer chant while tattooing tourists, as
the chants are only for the beautification of Kalinga women and the celebration of
Kalinga men's victories in battle. Some of her well-known clients include Rhian Ramos,
Drew Arellano, Liza Dio, and Ice Seguerra. Whang-od has tattooed non-Filipinos as well
as Filipinos on their bodies. Her tattooing didn't garner any income in the beginning, but
due to the high number of tourists in her town, she was earning at least PHP 5,000 per
day for her tattooing by 2015. Every day, she receives between twenty and thirty new
customers. Because of her advanced age, she is now only able to create simple tattoos.
Her apprentices, all of whom are women, have carried on the tradition for her and their
people. Like other indigenouism artists, her tattoo ink is formed of indigenous
ingredients, which are a blend of charcoal and water that will be tapped into the skin
through the thorn end of a calamansi or pomelo tree. This old technique of batok that
dates back a thousand years before her time is relatively harsh compared to other
standard methods. She uses designs found in nature and basic geometric shapes. She
has various distinctive tattoos, but since 2017 her signature tattoo is formed of three
dots, signifying herself and her two apprentices, shown as a continuation of the art form
from the elder to the next generation. Aside from being a tattoo artist, Whang-od is a
revered village elder and plays the nose flute. She also does agricultural activities,
including feeding pigs and poultry and working at the family's rice field.
Due to Whang-status-od's as the last mambabatok of her generation, her role in
bringing awareness to a kind of traditional tattooing and educating other practitioners,
many netizens were campaigning for her to be one of the National Artists of the
Philippines. In September 2015, a hashtag campaign (# WangOdNationalArtist) was
launched, and the hashtag was circulated approximately 11,000 times on social media
within a month. Some netizens were advocating for her to be given the National Living
Treasures Award instead.
In 2015, then Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago persuaded her colleagues in the
Philippine Senate through a resolution that Whang-od should be nominated as one of
the National Living Treasures (GAMABA or Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan in Tagalog),
who are of similar rank to National Artists. In a Senate resolution in June 2016, Senator
Nancy Binay enjoined the Philippine Senate to designate Whang-od as a National
Living Treasure. Likewise, her candidacy as a national artist or national living treasure
has been sponsored by Senator and United Nations ambassador Loren Legarda
through a second Senate resolution. Former National Commission for Culture and the
Arts of the Philippines (NCCA) chair Felipe de Leon Jr. also stated his support for
Whang-candidacy and emphasized that the function of a mambabatok is to become a
light of togetherness and support for the community. He further said that she assists her
community through tattooing visitors and she practices the traditional Kalinga art form
as a means of living and, therefore, should be eligible for both the National Living
Treasure Award and the National Artists Award. Analyn Salvado-Amores remarked that
while she has no issues with Whang-od's for a GAMABA award, Whang-od may not
obtain the award because one of the prerequisites for a GAMABA award is to perform in
the profession without profit. However, if the raised concern would hamper her
declaration as a National Living Treasure, then she may still be nominated for the
National Artist Award, which is the same in rank as the National Living Treasure Award.
An award for intangible cultural heritage was given to Apo Whang-Od Oggay, a
manwhatok (tattoo folk artist), by the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA)
in 2018. It is the first time that the award has been given to a traditional or folk
performer. In the resolution, the NCCA recognizes Whang-Od "as a living vessel of a
traditional practice, who deserves praise and acknowledgment for her efforts, notably
for bringing to broader prominence the indigenous practice of tattooing and Filipino
culture in general."
References:

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