Whang-Od the Mambabatok / Traditional Tattoo Artist: Kalinga’s Best Kept Secret
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Sometimes, we get so caught up in our urban lives, our Facebook profiles, and the horrendous traffic and the blinding city lights that we forget there is a whole different world out there. We forget that on the other side of the country, there are people who donโt know the taste of expensive coffee, but know the taste of โnga-ngaโ or betel nut wrapped in mint leaves and spices, which leave the mouth a nasty red color including the spitโฆ but that doesnโt make them vampires; itโs just their regular caffeine fix. We forget that there areย mountain rangesย waiting to be explored, and in the deep shadows of the jungle, the concrete jungle where dreams are made of seems so small. And so are we, and our drama.
I went away for two days – not to rest, but to travel, explore, smile at the mountains, punish my legs, sleep on the floor and somewhere in-between all of that, I got inked. The road toย Buscalanย is not easy, but I was thinking, neither is life. My friend and I took the 7:30 PM trip by bus and we arrived in Tabuk, the capital of Kalinga, at 5:45 AM.
At 7AM, we found a jeepney going to Bugnay where we took the top-load. I am using the term โtop-loadโ to paint a fun-filled picture. But in reality, while being fun, it was also very dangerous. We sat on the roof of the jeepney, sitting on sacks of rice, almost rubbing elbows with the chicken and other livestock and liquefied petroleum gas while the old man behind me was smoking like a charmer, all while traversing the narrow road, ravines and cliffs. For three hours we sat there, and I was thinking, yes, itโs more fun in the Philippines! Everything was forgotten, the view was breathtaking. God is so good.
When we reached Bugnay, we took another top-load ride for an hour to reach Buscalan. At some point, we had to get off and that was when we started the one and a half hour trek up the mountains. Now that was the real challenge. It was me versus my legs and my legs versus my will power. The climb was steep I wanted to cry. And just when I thought I was going to pass out, we finally saw the huts. Yes, Buscalan, baby! It was 2:00PM.
For over a year, Iโve been reading a lot about Buscalan, Kalinga and the Butbut tribe. Iโve read about the tradition called โbatokโ which is the term used for tattooing. โBatokโ is a symbol of beauty for women, while it is a symbol of fierceness and strength for men. It was said that the number of tattoos on a manโs body would account for the number of wars he won, and the number of heads he has taken. Which is where the word โKalingaโ is taken from, meaning the โheadhunters.โ The word โKalingaโ was coined from the Ybanag and Gaddang words, an ethno-linguistic minority group from the Cagayan Valley which is located an hour away from Tabuk.ย Incidentally, I am an Ybanag through and through.
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Kalinga’s Best Kept Secret: Whang-Od, the Mambabatok
For years, โbatokโ has been practiced among the tribesmen and women of Kalinga, and as I would hate to say it, this practice may be forgotten in the near future. So I went to Kalinga to meet the last living โmambabatok.โ Her name is Whang-Od and she is 95 years old. She is a small old woman, with brown skin, her arms filled with tattoo, long white hair and knowing eyes. It pierces you, just like the โsiitโ or the thorn she uses to ink people.
What was one night with the Butbut tribe like? Well, it wasnโt easy. But it was… how do I describe it? The words are overflowing in my head I donโt really know how to. It was tiring and humbling. It was a commune with the earth. It was going back to basic. It was joy and bliss and heartache put together. There was simplicity and happiness up there, and so was poverty. When we brought out all of the candies, medicine and school supplies for the villagers, the old and young flocked around us. I wish I could show you how it looked like or make you feel what it felt like. To me, it was indescribable. All I know is how it felt. And that itย is something I want to share when I am old and grey and full of wisdom. I hope.
So, what am I saying here? That sometimes itโs fun to get out of our comfort zone, to get downright dirty,ย to travel cheap, to go to someplace remote and with character, and to enjoy the simplest, and even the hardest things in life.
That, and that itโs more fun in the Philippines!