Kalinga Tourist Spots

1. Apo Whang Od

"Batok" or traditional hand-tapped tattooing. She became prominent because she has been featured on some local TV shows, international documentaries, magazines and others. Photos below will show the beauty of Buscalan, Kalinga and their traditional "batok."

Apo Whang Od

Apo Whang Od is an indigenous tattoo artist from Kalinga province who uses an old style of tattooing called "Batok," or traditional hand-tapped tattooing. She became prominent because she has been featured on some local TV shows, international documentaries, magazines and others. Photos below will show the beauty of Buscalan, Kalinga and their traditional "batok."

Apo Whang-Od Tattoo

A lady named Apo Whang Od (locals pronounced it as Fang Od) is 103 years old and she's the oldest mambabatok from the Butbut tribe in Buscalan, Kalinga, Philippines. The tattoos on her skin prove how powerful she was during her time.

Apo Whang Od (Kalinga Tourist Spots + Travel Guide)

In this generation, most of the people think that a tattoo has a negative connotation. It can even affect your career, regardless of the talent and education you may have. It was October, in 2014, in Philippine National Museum, when I saw a portrait of an old lady, with tribal tattoos on all over her body. In National Geographic, there were several documentaries featuring how significant the tattoos and pierces are, especially for the people in ancient times. Tattoos and pierces are proof that a tribe recognizes a person’s accomplishment, mostly on battles. There are several ways of tattooing around the world, depending on their geographical feature and culture. In the Northern part of the Philippines, in Buscalan, Kalinga, they call it as Batok. It is an ancient/tribal form of marking (tattooing) a warrior after a successful combat or ladies who brought pride to the tribe.

Change The Way You See Beauty

The Philippines is colonized by different countries, having said that, most of us would think that the definition of beauty is showcasing a pointed nose, gorgeous smile, tantalizing eyes, amazing cheek bone,  fair complexion, wide shoulder, has vital statistics of 36-24-36, and at least five feet and seven inches tall. If you’re aiming for a Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, Bb. Pilipinas and other modelling titles then you need those qualities. But remember, beauty never ends with those titles!