Apo Whang-Od

2023 - 3 - 31

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Image courtesy of "CNN Philippines"

Apo Whang-Od is Vogue PH's beauty issue cover girl (CNN Philippines)

The 106-year-old mambabatok can be seen in her simplest beauty with only red lipstick, a black top, a few colorful beaded accessories, and of course her ...

She uses a mixture of charcoal and water for the ink and taps it into the skin through the thorny end of a local citrus calamansi or pomelo tree. The 106-year-old mambabatok can be seen in her simplest beauty with only red lipstick, a black top, a few colorful beaded accessories, and of course her tattoos that adorn her chest and arms. “Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe—signifying strength, bravery, and beauty—on the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan,” the fashion magazine said in its social media post.

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Image courtesy of "INKED"

Apo Whang-Od Featured on Cover of Vogue Philippines (INKED)

The centenarian tattoo artist is one of the few remaining practitioners of traditional Kalinga tattooing, but at 106-years-old she's still going strong.

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Image courtesy of "ABS-CBN News"

LOOK: Whang-Od graces cover of fashion magazine (ABS-CBN News)

Apo Maria 'Whang-Od' Oggay, the Philippines' oldest mambabatok or traditional Kalinga tattooist, is the newest cover star of a fashion magazine.

"Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe -- signifying strength, bravery, and beauty -- on the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan," read a post on the magazine's Instagram page. She graces the April 2023 issue of Vogue Philippines, which noted how she "symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit." Apo Maria "Whang-Od" Oggay, the Philippines' oldest mambabatok or traditional Kalinga tattooist, is the newest cover star of a fashion magazine.

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Image courtesy of "Mashable SE Asia"

106-Year-Old Indigenous Filipino Woman Becomes Oldest Person ... (Mashable SE Asia)

For their April 2023 beauty issue cover, Vogue Philippines has featured indigenous Kalinga mambabatok (traditional tattooist), Apo Whang-Od, ...

[Artu Nepomuceno / Vogue Philippines](https://vogue.ph/magazine/apo-whang-od/). Since Whang-Od never had any children of her own, she decided to pass on the craft to her grand-niece, Grace Palicas, who was 10 years old at the time. She dabs at them with a wet wipe before deciding to go over the freshly wounded spots again for good measure. So how does it work? For women, tattoos would be done in order to promote fertility and beauty. [Artu Nepomuceno / Vogue Philippines](https://vogue.ph/magazine/apo-whang-od/)

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