Whang-od is the country’s

oldest mambabatok, a
traditional Kalinga tattooist.
She is the living proof of the
tribe’s batok (hand-tapping)
culture. She has been
tattooing for the past 80
years — including head
hunters of the indigenous
tribe. Whang-od’s tribal
tattoo ink is made up of
charcoal and water. She is
inking foreign and Filipino
visitors who visit her. She
believes that if someone
outside the bloodline starts
tattooing, the tattoo will get WHANG -OD
infected.