Meet the 106-year-old woman reviving traditional tattoos in the Philippines
At 106, Apo Whang-od is the oldest known person practicing batok, a traditional tattooing technique that dates back 1,000 years in the Philippines. These tattoos were once badges of honor to warriors who protected the land. But centuries of colonization from the West made this art nearly obsolete. For more information on Spiritual Journey Tattoo, visit www.spiritualjourneytattoo.com
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00:00 Traditional tattoos called batok were once a symbol of beauty, wealth and strength.
00:07 At 106 years old, Apawang God is the oldest person in the world practicing this Filipino art.
00:26 The tradition nearly disappeared when the US took control of the Philippines in the late 19th century.
00:33 But Wang God never stopped tapping.
00:37 Her persistence eventually landed her on the front cover of Vogue.
00:42 Now she's a celebrity.
00:54 Every week, hundreds of tourists will hike up miles to reach her isolated village.
01:00 All for a chance to get one simple three-dot tattoo, the only design Wang God still makes.
01:07 So how did a centenarian woman save this art form?
01:12 And can it survive without her?
01:15 Wang God's village of Buscalan sits over 3,300 feet above sea level.
01:23 And the only way of getting here is on foot.
01:26 Wang God finds everything she needs to make her tattoos in her backyard.
01:31 Sharp green thorns from pomelo and lemon trees will become her needles.
01:37 She inserts the thorns into a bamboo stick to make the tapping tool called a gisi.
01:50 To make the ink, she scrapes the fine soot from a burnt pot and mixes it with water until it thickens.
02:01 Wang God got her first tattoo when she was a teenager, almost a century ago.
02:10 I used to get a lot of tattoos.
02:13 I used to get a lot of tattoos.
02:20 She's lost count of how many she has.
02:23 I've had a lot of tattoos.
02:26 Wang God does all her tattooing on the porch area outside her home.
02:32 Each client brings their own gisi from local sellers.
02:38 She dips a small twig in the ink and marks the design.
02:42 With the gisi, she pierces the black ink into the skin, leaving behind a permanent mark.
02:52 For elders of the Kalinga tribe, these tattoos are one of the most important possessions.
02:59 They believe the markings are the only way for them to be recognized by their ancestors in the afterlife.
03:06 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:09 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:13 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:16 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:19 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:22 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:25 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:28 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:32 The tattoos are not practiced by men.
03:35 But Wang God's father encouraged her to defy the tradition and learn the skill.
03:40 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:43 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:46 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:49 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:52 For centuries, Batok tattoos were an essential part of society for tribes in the Cordillera region.
03:59 They were first made as early as 13 to show they were ready for marriage.
04:03 Many men earned their tattoos for headhunting, like modern-day military medals.
04:08 The tribes believed they could bring luck to their people by beheading their enemies during battle.
04:13 For each kill, headhunters would earn chest tattoos for their bravery.
04:18 The tribe managed to survive centuries of colonization by Spain.
04:24 But when the US took control of the country in 1898, headhunting was outlawed and the appeal of Batok tattoos waned.
04:32 Christian missionaries considered the tattoos taboo and tribespeople were told to cover them.
04:38 The Philippines is the only Christian nation in the Far East.
04:41 By the time the Philippines gained independence in 1946, many old indigenous practices had disappeared.
04:49 High schools, grade schools, everything taught in English.
04:55 Most Kalinga people worked in agriculture to make a living.
05:02 Wangod labored in the rice fields for decades too, but continued practicing tattooing on the side.
05:09 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:14 I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:17 In 2009, Wangod was featured in the Discovery Channel series Tattoo Hunter.
05:22 And in 2023, even graced the cover of Vogue Philippines.
05:27 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:32 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:36 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:43 I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:47 And Wangod went from a local tattooist to a national treasure.
05:52 The global attention brought tourists to Buscalan.
05:57 People travel 15 hours from the capital city Manila to get to her house.
06:05 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:11 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:16 Wangod can tattoo up to 120 clients in a single weekend.
06:23 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:28 I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:33 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:39 I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:44 One by one, tourists sit on her porch, get their tattoos and take pictures with her.
06:53 She's a celebrity here, so they are willing to wait for hours.
07:03 And endure the pain.
07:05 In the past, she made more elaborate designs.
07:22 But her eyesight has gotten worse over the years.
07:25 So nowadays, the three dots is Wangod's signature tattoo.
07:31 They represent her and her two grandnieces, who are her apprentices, Elyang and Grace.
07:36 Wangod leaves the more complex designs to them.
07:39 A tattoo can cost between $5 and $40.
07:43 Today, Grace is doing an arrow and fern design on a young Filipino who has been coming here since 2015.
07:51 Peter Capocao has nine Batok tattoos made by Wangod and other artists in Buscalan.
07:58 It's really important that Filipinos can actually embrace this culture because it's ours.
08:05 And for him, the pain is worth it.
08:09 I think I need some Coca-Cola.
08:12 Nowadays, Wangod rarely gets new tattoos.
08:18 But she made an exception in 2007 for a Filipino-American tattoo artist who travelled here from LA.
08:27 El Festen brought his own replica tools he built with guava wood.
08:31 I told her about the tools and that's when she just smiled and gave me a tap on the shoulder and she pointed at a tool.
08:41 And then a translator was saying, "Oh, I think she wants to get tattooed."
08:46 And at first, I was hesitant because I didn't want it to look like cultural appropriation or stolen valor.
08:55 El says Wangod chose a tattoo pattern she saw on his arm.
08:59 This is her favorite pattern. This, in many different villages, it means different things, but to her it means the snake.
09:06 It was like poetry. Poetry on skin, you know? Like everything, our connection, our bridge.
09:12 It just gave me like a tap on the shoulder, like, "Good job." Like a pat on the shoulder.
09:19 El has been running his own shop specializing in tribal tattoos in Stanton, California, since 2011.
09:26 What's up, Verona?
09:28 He moved here from the Philippines when he was nine years old.
09:32 He spent two decades studying the motifs and artifacts of Filipino indigenous tribes, including the Kalinga.
09:42 Coming over here as an immigrant, we have to assimilate and then we have to put that in the backburner of the culture.
09:49 He says each pattern was used to tell a person's unique tribal story.
09:54 It's almost like a resume. If you're a weaver, there will be weaving patterns there.
09:58 This lady, you could tell she's very rich because hers is very detailed and stacked together.
10:03 Today, El mostly tattoos with a modern gun.
10:08 But he knows how to use dozens of traditional tools and often makes his own.
10:17 He runs a two-year apprenticeship where he teaches these methods to other artisans.
10:21 Some, like Joseph Ash, work with El at the shop.
10:26 This is called the ulugatantul or the snakebite. It's originally from the Isnik area of the Philippines.
10:33 I actually learned how to use this tool during my apprenticeship.
10:37 With the amount of years I actually used this tool, I've actually gotten pretty damn quick with it.
10:44 Clients can get custom tattoos based on their ancestors' motifs.
10:48 This is going to be the start of a Hussayan flower.
10:52 It's just at the centerpiece and then later the petals can go in around.
10:56 So this is part of a traditional leg design.
11:00 My family is originally from the Hussayan.
11:04 This one is based off of what my ancestors would traditionally get.
11:13 I'm the first generation born here.
11:15 So for me it felt like it's more of an awakening, going back to celebrating where my family came from.
11:26 In 1998, El co-founded the Mark of the Four Waves,
11:32 an organization that helps Filipinos and other indigenous groups connect with their roots through tattoos.
11:38 They host social and educational events throughout the year.
11:42 Next thing you know, there's just a tidal wave of all these Filipinos really thirsty for knowledge.
11:47 It was pretty amazing because all that I was talking about, they experienced too.
11:52 The tattoos have become a symbol of self-identity to clients and to the people working in his shop.
11:59 As you grow up as a woman, a Filipino woman, you're like not exactly feel the prettiest person.
12:07 I felt to me like kind of like accept myself more. I look at myself more like, okay, I look awesome now.
12:13 Because of Wangod, what was once deemed taboo is now sought after by locals and tourists in the Philippines.
12:24 And a job that was traditionally reserved for men is predominantly done by women today.
12:33 Another of Wangod's nieces, Eva Oge, runs her own tattoo business.
12:37 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
13:05 And new businesses have sprung up all around the village.
13:09 Today, there are over 150 artists practicing batok in Buscalan.
13:15 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
13:26 And her life has changed too.
13:32 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
13:40 Wangod's legacy continues to live on through the next generation in Buscalan.
13:47 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
14:07 [Eva laughing]
14:11 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
14:18 [Music]
14:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]