The Kalinga language was recognized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as an important intangible cultural heritage last June 25 in formal ceremonies in Kalinga province in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The NCCA conferred the Dangal ng Haraya Award for Intangible Cultural Heritage on tattoo folk artist Apo Whang-Od Oggay—the first time the award has been given to a traditional or folk artist.
Everybody knows her as the last “mambabatok” or traditional tattoo artist of the Butbut tribe in Buscalan, Kalinga, a province in northern Philippines.
National Youth Commission head Aiza Seguerra andFilm Development Council of the Philippines chair Liza Diño confirmed on Instagram that the last living “mambabatok” is alive and well.
Den Wigan, a native of the Kalinga province, has been using the ancient form of tattooing to willing customers of the art gallery in Antipolo, Rizal.
Apo Whang-od, the last living ‘mambabatok’, or traditional Kalinga tattooist, is one of those featured in a current art exhibit in Ontario, Canada.
The latest in global fashion, beauty, and culture through a contemporary Filipino perspective.
COPYRIGHT © LIFESTYLE INQUIRER 2022
