It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at Tinglayan. Heavy black clouds were ready for a downpour anytime soon. We've been travelling for 17 hours now and we've been sleeping in between transfer of transportation and taking a nap during the ride through the winding roads of the north. We squeezed in meals during our stops all the way up to Kalinga. It was a nice ride though, since I love seeing the greens of Benguet and Mountain Province. Who would've been excited to see the stretch of Chico River between mountains under the blue sky? For me, it was a nice ride, but for first timers, 17 hours was a long wait. After a 45-minute trek from the jump off, we reached the village of Barangay Buscalan. And there she was sitting on chair as if waiting for our arrival. She is small and looks fragile at first glance. But as you look onto her, you can see her strength through the intricate ink on her skin.
Apo Fang-od, Whang-od to the villagers, is a 'Mambabatok' and the last traditional tattoo artist of her tribe . We couldn't wait for tomorrow, so, we took pictures of her (with her permission, of course) through our friendly and accommodating local guide. Seeing her personally was a notable experience.
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| The Legend Apo Fang-od |
That evening, the electricity was down because of the heavy rains. Because of the long and tiring travel, we found ourselves ready to sleep early throughout the cold weather.
It is said that Apo Fang-od starts her day early. When she is asked of her age, she would tell that she's between 95-97 years old. Unsure of her age, she still does her daily chores of drying beans and feeding the chickens and pigs. Early the following morning, two of my friends experienced the traditional tattoo of the legendary Apo Fang-od. She uses a traditional ink made of char found at the bottom of pots and pans and as a needle, a thorn of a citrus tree. Attached to a piece of bamboo, this thorn will repetitively pierce on the skin on your desired design. Your design may be your own or something from the catalog available on her shop. For the Kalinga tribe, tattoo is a sign of fierce and beauty. Both men and women have it. During the olden days, men who were 'headhunters' would get their ink to surmount their triumph. Women would get it to show art and beauty.
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| Apo Fang-od is finishing up Kay's tattoo. |
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| Grace is starting Mai's tattoo. |
With her granddaughter, Grace, they did the tattoo of my friends. They said that it was painful at first and gets numb throughout the session. It was indeed an experience for them, for the ink will run through their blood from that day on. Fang-od passes on the tradition to the 14-year old Grace. Though her way of putting the art on the skin is a little bit timid, soon it will become more confident and will take her own style.
A lot of visitors, both local and foreign, visits Apo Fang-od. Featured in some documentaries, also both local and foreign, made her work more noticeable. I envy my two friends. My siblings and I are not allowed to get a tattoo. We are grown ups now, but we still respect our parent's wish not to get one. Being there at Apo Fang-od's shop can be very encouraging and enticing. But at the back of my mind is my parent's voice of discouragement. But that doesn't make my experience stop. Being there and looking at her art makes this journey a notable one.
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