She used to be single after being broken hearted by her then boyfriend who was then married to her best friend due to bloodline issue (not royal and pure). That’s why she called the last mambabatok because she doesn’t have the heir or a direct descendant to continue her legacy and the practice of traditional tattooing. But as the millennium unfolds, the beliefs has changed and so Whang-od trained her grandniece named Grace (which is also quite famous in the village) and Ilyang, both came from her bloodline to be her successor. Moreover, it opens an opportunity as well to other non-bloodline believers and followers to learn the mambabatok. That concludes that Apo Whang-od would not be the last mambabatok and the future next generations can still experience this ancient tradition of tattooing by the Butbut tribe.

Apo Whang-od is extraordinary for breaking the long term tradition of her tribe to be the first woman to do the batok, their traditional tattoo art-form that customarily intended for male. But she got that exceptional talent for this art and that allowed her to learn and grow the practice and passed on from generation to generation. Today, her apprentice and future mambabatok constituted by women.

Luckily, you do not need to catch Whang-od to get inked by her since you will have plenty of options for that. In our case, we invited some apprentice to mark our body with their traditional prints and witness the unique ways of printing out into our skin. But by chance, you can actually catch Apo Whang-od on an early session with only first few people selected if you wanted it personally to be made by her. For us, we just had a photo session for Php 50.00/head with her instead and some got a signature tattoo (3 dots). Grace her grandniece on the other hand will be your next option just in case you missed her around since I believe she’s limiting her exposure due to her age (this was just my assumptions).  

In 2018, Apo Whang-od awarded with the prestigious Dangal ng Haraya Award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). While her nomination as the National Living Treasures Award (Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan) is still on process to date since 2017 by NCCA.

Getting Inked at Buscalan by a Mambabatok

Probably, you won’t get away from Buscalan without getting a tattoo. I am certain it is one of the major highlights in visiting the place and as mentioned, lots of young artists are now learning how to ink. This place is in fact a safe haven for aspiring tattoo artists.  Tattoo here is still a taboo (sacred) and also an art of expressing yourself. Back then, the tattoo is a symbol of pride for the tribe especially for headhunters and soldiers who won against their enemies. And now, for me, it's an art printed in your skin that connects to your heart and fueling your soul. 

Ranging from (lowest) Php 300.00 to Php 2,000.00+ (highest) you can have your own tattoo proudly made in Buscalan. There’s a wide range of designs to choose, from small to large tattoos, tribal ones with each characters represents their culture and beliefs or you can actually ask them to ink instead your personal design. However, prices may vary than the usual based on how hard could it be for them to get it done.

This series is still part of our trip to Buscalan and a travel inclusion except for above mentioned fees that are actually excluded and a compulsory expenses by each of us.  

I also wanted to grant this opportunity to say thank you to May Anne Fuente [Facebook@mayanne.fuerte] for taking my photos during the session. She's a teacher, a writer, award winning coach, dancer (sabi niya) and a singer (collab minsan).