The oldest tattooist in the Philippines and the last surviving mambabatok, or traditional Kalinga tattooist, is Whang-Od. She has been inking people since she was barely 15 years old in the rural community of Buscalan in the Kalinga Mountains.

The world first heard of Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, when American anthropologist Lars Krutak traveled to Kalinga in 2007. In the Discovery Channel television series Tattoo Hunter, he documented her artistic endeavors. That marked the start of a significant influx of tourists who will visit Kalinga in the upcoming years solely in order to meet this legend and get their bodies inked by her.

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