Apo Whang-Od graces the cover of Vogue Philippines at 106-years-old

Photo by Artu Nepomuceno for Vogue Philippines

Now THIS is a cover story. The Vogue Philippines April 2023 issue features Apo Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, a 106-year-old woman who is considered the last and oldest mambabatok of her generation.

“According to lore and to interviews conducted by tattoo anthropologist Dr. Lars Krutak, Whang-Od was 16 when she began her career as a tattooist under her father’s mentorship. The first and only female mambabatok of her time, Whang-Od would travel to far and neighboring villages, summoned by host communities to imprint the sacred symbols of their ancestors on individuals who have crossed or about to cross a threshold in their lives,” Audrey Carpio writes.

“When the American Catholic missionaries came and built schools in Kalinga, village girls were made to cover their arms with long sleeves,” Carpio continues. “Being tattooed became a point of shame when women ventured to the city, and eventually fewer girls from the succeeding generation continued the tradition as Western concepts of beauty and respectability began to permeate the culture.”

Click here to read the full story via Vogue.