Apo Whang-Od: The Living Legend Tattoo Artist from Kalinga

The Journey to Buscalan

The walk took us about an hour before we finally reached our destination, the home of the famous last mambabatok, Apo Whang Od.

Her tattoos were much like the ones I saw from portraits of her. I can't begin to imagine how much pain she had to endure when the thorn first pierced my skin. It is more painful than a tattoo machine. She's probably had 10 sessions before I sat on that small wooden stool. Her eyes looked weary and she's been enduring a headache when we arrived.

Our group was loud. We were laughing and making jokes probably because we were trying to quell our fears before we finally sit down with this old lady and have a taste of her art.

I carefully put the crocheted shawl upon her shoulders before I sat down beside her. I whispered to her ears: "Paboritok daytoy nga kagay Apo. (This is my favorite shawl, Apo.) She smiled and I rested my arms on her shoulders as someone from our group took a photo of us.

I think i was the second to the last one who got a tattoo that day as our guide, Victor left us for a couple of minutes and he asked me to interpret for the group. I was the only one who can somehow understand Apo Whang Od. She understands Ilokano, a middle ground dialect for us Igorots and I know a little bit of Kankana-ey, another dialect in Mt. Province. Sometimes, I'd translate in Iloko, sometimes a mixture of Itneg and Kankanaey.

To our surprise, she went out of her way and conversed with us. We were told, she doesn't talk much during her sessions. She laughed, made jokes, made gestures so my friends could understand what she wanted to convey. I sat beside her the whole time. She excused herself when she had to fart and when nature called her for number two. "Innak pay tumakki," she said to me.

Oh, she is sooooo funny and we were all laughing and then she motioned us to be silent as her headache has once again returned to torment her. So our group agreed to have the signature tattoo only during our first day and design tattoos will be in the next morning. Apo agreed.

It was a humbling experience to be inked traditionally by the last mambabatok. No pain, no gain.