The last tattooed women of Tanudan



In Sombrero Island (Aborlan, Palawan), I noticed these two boys walking around holding on to the front part of their…

I thought it would be an interesting dynamic to set a budjang (lady) in her colorful, traditional Tausug habul and…

Kenneth Cobonpue. Award-winning designer and furniture maker. Well-known for quirky, nature-inspired handcrafted…

#ProjectLarawan. Profiles of the Filipino. One portrait at a time. Project Larawan is an initiative of Gabriel “Gabby”…

Mang Boy Molejon moved to Bataraza in southern Palawan in the mid-‘70s from Quezon Province. Back then, he would sell…

Christian Mar Baracena
Tucked deep in the folds of the Tanudan Mountains lies a village often called the last frontier of Kalinga — a place seemingly untouched by time. But beyond the pristine forests and ancient footpaths is a living canvas of cultural memory: the birthplace of Kalinga tattooing, known locally as batek.
Once, full-sleeve tattoos adorned the arms of women here — each mark a story, a rite, a legacy. Today, only a few elders bear these inked histories. Amid shifting ideals and fading interest, one woman dares to revive this intricate art, preserving its pulse against the tides of modernity and social stigma.