Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od has recently celebrated her 105th birthday making her the oldest traditional tattoo or ‘mambabatok’ artist in the country.
Whang-Od was born as Maria Oggay on Pebrero 17, 1917.
She celebrated her birthday last February 19 together with the residents of Buscalan town. Some visitors were also able to witness the celebration.
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Daryl Bautista, one of the visitors who witnessed the event said that Whang-Od’s family butchered a pig for the celebration.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts has awarded Whang-Od the Dangal ng Haraya Award for Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018.
Some people are also making calls to make Whang-Od a national artist while she is still alive.
The tattoo artist and her family were involved in a recent controversy over the supposed online tattoo course being offered by vlogger Nas Daily.
