Whang Od, shown here at work, “is known for her skill and aesthetics, with a keen knowledge on which tattoos produce beautiful renditions. Her tattoos include traditional designs and patterns…. She would also innovate, creating her own designs, mostly inspired by nature and her surroundings,” the NCCA citation says. ROEL MANIPON POPULAR Kalinga traditional manwhatok or tattooist Maria “Whang Od” Oggay, who could be among the last master of the age-old but vanishing craft, was recently honored with the Dangal ng Haraya award, the highest recognition of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), for intangible cultural heritage.

The NCCA recognized the Kalinga tattooist for upholding and promoting the traditional tattooing practice of the Kalinga people of the Cordillera region in northern Luzon.

The awarding ceremony was led by NCCA chairman and National Artist for literature Virgilio S. Almario at the Kalinga Capitol Gymnasium in Tabuk, Kalinga last June 25.

Whang Od is considered among the very few remaining tattooists of Kalinga. She “is known for her skill and aesthetics, with a keen knowledge on which tattoos produce beautiful renditions.

Her tattoos include traditional designs and patterns…She would also innovate, creating her own designs, mostly inspired by nature and her surroundings,” the citation revealed.

Whang Od is passionate about preserving the tradition, insisting on rendering tattoos the traditional way. Unmarried and without child, she instead passed the skill and knowledge to her nieces, Ilyang and Grace Palicas.

In recent years, she rose to fame when the international media and organizations began featuring her.

“We in NCIP say that we brought her out to the world, and the world came to her, and in turn she brought Kalinga to the world,” Naty Sugguiyao, former provincial officer of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in province of Kalinga, said. “Her photos were featured in Canada, Paris and Germany, and I was told even buses in LA have her photos,” she said.

“Discovery Channel came in 2007, made a documentary, and this brought more media attention to the body art called batok,” she said.

The show, Tattoo Hunters, hosted by Lars Krutak, was her debut in international media. It was soon followed by other shows from different countries and then by local television stations.

Soon, local and foreign tourists flocked to Buscalan to get tattooed, and the streams of visitors continue until today.

“Before Whang Od, [they] only knew Kalinga as [a land of] head-hunters,” Tinglayan Mayor Sacrament Gumilab said. “Very few people knew about Tinglayan, except in the narcotic world. We knew Tinglayan because of its marijuana plantations. But Whang Od is the one who put Tinglayan in the map of the world. And [now] everybody knows that there is such an artist from Tinglayan,” she added. Indeed, Apo Whang Od is really an international sensation. She’s like a Hollywood artist. To the people of Tinglayan, Whang Od is really an original artist. Apo Whang Od is the one who helped bring the tourism industry in the municipality of Tinglayan. She is also the one who provided livelihood to the people of Tinglayan and of Buscalan…[They are now] serving as tourist guides. People have livelihoods such as [operating] home-stay [facilities], and the business enterprises have grown…Last year, [for] the Cordillera Region, Kalinga is number two in tourist arrivals…

She’s really an epitome of an empowered woman.

Sugguiyao said Buscalan would receive as many as 50 tourists a day during peak season.

The village has also dramatically changed from a remote and quiet community in the mountains to a bustling tourist pitstop.

Whang Od is a very charming woman, with a graciousness that reminds people of their own grandmothers.

With the growth of her popularity, calls for her to be awarded began circulating, especially in social media, by people who are mostly tourists and observers, who are likely non-expert in traditional culture, much less about Kalinga traditional tattoo practices.

Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee Saclag, Kalinga musician and dancer with Whang Od. Several had suggested awarding her the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures award, the highest national recognition for indigenous and traditional artists, artisans and craftsmen. Some erroneously pushed for the National Artist award, exposing a large dearth in the understanding of culture in general, and affirming a thinking about the bestowal of these awards based more on novelty and nostalgia than anything else. Soon, politicians also joined the fray.

Whang Od has been considered for the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan, but the award emphasizes cultural contexts of traditional practices remain mostly intact. As it is practised today, the context of the Kalinga tattoo has changed or vanished, especially with the incursion of tourism.

Instead, Whang Od was considered for the Dangal ng Haraya award.

The award citation said the master tattooist from the village of Buscalan in Tinglayan, Kalinga is recognized “for the promulgation and preservation of Butbut Kalinga traditional tattoo known as fatok or whatok, and engendering greater attention and awareness to Philippine traditional arts and practices and intangible cultural heritage in general.”

Her dedication to her craft led to the intensifying of “pride not only in the local community, but in the nation as well, and fostering greater recognition and reverence for indigenous knowledge and practices, and for Filipino culture in general, by forging new ways in the appreciation and understanding of traditional tattoos.”

“Whang-Od is highly regarded in her community, as well as by many Filipinos and the international community, as a master manwhatok or tattooist, one of the very few, if not the only, remaining in the practice of this traditional art.”

“Whang-Od is highly regarded in her community, as well as by many Filipinos and the international community, as a master manwhatok or tattooist, one of the very few, if not the only, remaining in the practice of this traditional art.”

Almario said Apo Whang-Od Oggay, who is believed to be about a hundred years old, “has been a bearer of her people’s indigenous and rich heritage for more than 80 years now.”

He added, “Starting very young in her life, Apo Whang-Od has stood witness to the changing landscape of Kalinga, both in actual topography, as influences are flowing in from the cities, as well as in terms of newer cultural practices. Yet, despite all of these changes brought by the times, she remained and still remains resilient, strong and dedicated to preserving what has been taught to her by her elders. We are here…to honor and give recognition to what Apo Whang-Od represents—first and foremost to her community, as a vessel of age-old wisdom and artistic creation, and to the country and the world, as a bearer of Filipino indigenous identities, worldviews and expressions.”

The award citation further explains “as a living vessel of a traditional practice, Whang-Od is highly regarded in her community, as well as by many Filipinos and the international community, as a master manwhatok or tattooist – one of the very few, if not the only, remaining in the practice of this traditional art. She is recognized internationally for her tattoos, as both Filipinos and foreigners visit her, fascinated by the ancient practice. With hospitality connected to her family history, she is always amiable and gracious, welcoming and accommodating villagers and visitors alike. People of Buscalan regard Whang-Od with respect and pride.”

Whang-Od received her own tattoo in her early teens. Around that time, she also began practising tattooing.

Early on, she was considered the best in her village, and eventually her reputation reached other villages as well. Not only that, she was also regarded as an outstanding chanter and dancer.

The event was graced by Sen. JV Ejercito, and Kalinga officials, including Gov. Jocel Baac, Vice Gov. James Edduba and Gumilab.

NCCA chairman Virgilio Almario with Senator JV Ejercito, bestows the Dangal ng Haraya award to Whang Od. Kalinga tattoos as art

Several ethnic groups in the Cordilleras have their own tattoo practices, including the Kalinga.

According to Sugguiyao, the fatok “marked a man’s ability as warrior with tattoos to indicate the rank and power the men hold in their community.”

“In Kalinga, tattoos were earned only after a man had proven his courage in battle against warring tribes,” Sugguiyao, who herself sports tattoos on her arms, further said. “Scholars who have studied the tradition interpreted the practice to show that men were given tattoos because of brave acts during tribal wars while the women were given tattoos to decorate their bodies,” she added.

The traditional tattooist keeps an array of designs, from simple ones to elaborate ones, which are based on gender and accomplishment. The tattoo is embedded in the Kalinga way of life as a rite of passage, as an affirmation by the community, and as a native concept of beauty and aesthetics. The Kalinga believes in the permanence of tattoos, which one carries even in the afterlife.

Usually a paranos, a thanksgiving ritual, is conducted when a Kalinga would be tattooed.

But this can be dispensed for non-Kalinga. The process uses charcoal or soot as ink and citrus (usually calamansi or pomelo) thorn as needle.

To become a tattooist, one strictly observes taboos attached to it and know the Kalinga way of life. The traditional manwhatok is usually male, and very few women practise the craft.

The Dangal ng Haraya is given to living Filipino artists, cultural workers, artistic or cultural groups, historical societies, institutions, foundations and councils, for their outstanding achievements in relevant fields that have made an impact and significant contribution to Philippine culture and arts. For individuals, it is usually for a lifetime of achievements.

Through Dangal ng Haraya and its other institutional awards, NCCA seeks to uphold excellence in all artistic and cultural endeavors, encourage initiative and participation among groups and individuals, and recognize exemplary cultural programs that can serve as valuable examples to others.

Whang-Od joins a stellar roster of awardees, including anthropologist E. Arsenio Manuel (for cultural research); anthropologist Dr. Jesus Peralta (for cultural management); writer Efren R., Abueg (for artistic achievement in literature); Zenaida A. Amador (for development of professional theater); Pura Santillan-Castrence (for promotion of Philippine culture); Sen. Edgardo Angara (for patronage of arts and culture); architect Augusto Villalon (for cultural conservation), and anthropologist F. Landa Jocano (for cultural and historical research).