00:00 Traditional tattoos called batok were once a symbol of beauty, wealth and strength.
00:07 At 106 years old, Apawang God is the oldest person in the world practicing this Filipino art.
00:26 The tradition nearly disappeared when the US took control of the Philippines in the late 19th century.
00:33 But Wang God never stopped tapping.
00:37 Her persistence eventually landed her on the front cover of Vogue.
00:42 Now she's a celebrity.
00:54 Every week, hundreds of tourists will hike up miles to reach her isolated village.
01:00 All for a chance to get one simple three-dot tattoo, the only design Wang God still makes.
01:07 So how did a centenarian woman save this art form?
01:12 And can it survive without her?
01:15 Wang God's village of Buscalan sits over 3,300 feet above sea level.
01:23 And the only way of getting here is on foot.
01:26 Wang God finds everything she needs to make her tattoos in her backyard.
01:31 Sharp green thorns from pomelo and lemon trees will become her needles.
01:37 She inserts the thorns into a bamboo stick to make the tapping tool called a gisi.
01:50 To make the ink, she scrapes the fine soot from a burnt pot and mixes it with water until it thickens.
02:01 Wang God got her first tattoo when she was a teenager, almost a century ago.
02:10 I used to get a lot of tattoos.
02:13 I used to get a lot of tattoos.
02:20 She's lost count of how many she has.
02:23 I've had a lot of tattoos.
02:26 Wang God does all her tattooing on the porch area outside her home.
02:32 Each client brings their own gisi from local sellers.
02:38 She dips a small twig in the ink and marks the design.
02:42 With the gisi, she pierces the black ink into the skin, leaving behind a permanent mark.
02:52 For elders of the Kalinga tribe, these tattoos are one of the most important possessions.
02:59 They believe the markings are the only way for them to be recognized by their ancestors in the afterlife.
03:06 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:09 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:13 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:16 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:19 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:22 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:25 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:28 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:32 The tattoos are not practiced by men.
03:35 But Wang God's father encouraged her to defy the tradition and learn the skill.
03:40 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:43 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:46 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:49 I have a tattoo of a goat.
03:52 For centuries, Batok tattoos were an essential part of society for tribes in the Cordillera region.
03:59 They were first made as early as 13 to show they were ready for marriage.
04:03 Many men earned their tattoos for headhunting, like modern-day military medals.
04:08 The tribes believed they could bring luck to their people by beheading their enemies during battle.
04:13 For each kill, headhunters would earn chest tattoos for their bravery.
04:18 The tribe managed to survive centuries of colonization by Spain.
04:24 But when the US took control of the country in 1898, headhunting was outlawed and the appeal of Batok tattoos waned.
04:32 Christian missionaries considered the tattoos taboo and tribespeople were told to cover them.
04:38 The Philippines is the only Christian nation in the Far East.
04:41 By the time the Philippines gained independence in 1946, many old indigenous practices had disappeared.
04:49 High schools, grade schools, everything taught in English.
04:55 Most Kalinga people worked in agriculture to make a living.
05:02 Wangod labored in the rice fields for decades too, but continued practicing tattooing on the side.
05:09 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:14 I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:17 In 2009, Wangod was featured in the Discovery Channel series Tattoo Hunter.
05:22 And in 2023, even graced the cover of Vogue Philippines.
05:27 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:32 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:36 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:43 I have a tattoo of a goat.
05:47 And Wangod went from a local tattooist to a national treasure.
05:52 The global attention brought tourists to Buscalan.
05:57 People travel 15 hours from the capital city Manila to get to her house.
06:05 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:11 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:16 Wangod can tattoo up to 120 clients in a single weekend.
06:23 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:28 I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:33 I have a tattoo of a goat. I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:39 I have a tattoo of a goat.
06:44 One by one, tourists sit on her porch, get their tattoos and take pictures with her.
06:53 She's a celebrity here, so they are willing to wait for hours.
07:03 And endure the pain.
07:05 In the past, she made more elaborate designs.
07:22 But her eyesight has gotten worse over the years.
07:25 So nowadays, the three dots is Wangod's signature tattoo.
07:31 They represent her and her two grandnieces, who are her apprentices, Elyang and Grace.
07:36 Wangod leaves the more complex designs to them.
07:39 A tattoo can cost between $5 and $40.
07:43 Today, Grace is doing an arrow and fern design on a young Filipino who has been coming here since 2015.
07:51 Peter Capocao has nine Batok tattoos made by Wangod and other artists in Buscalan.
07:58 It's really important that Filipinos can actually embrace this culture because it's ours.
08:05 And for him, the pain is worth it.
08:09 I think I need some Coca-Cola.
08:12 Nowadays, Wangod rarely gets new tattoos.
08:18 But she made an exception in 2007 for a Filipino-American tattoo artist who travelled here from LA.
08:27 El Festen brought his own replica tools he built with guava wood.
08:31 I told her about the tools and that's when she just smiled and gave me a tap on the shoulder and she pointed at a tool.
08:41 And then a translator was saying, "Oh, I think she wants to get tattooed."
08:46 And at first, I was hesitant because I didn't want it to look like cultural appropriation or stolen valor.
08:55 El says Wangod chose a tattoo pattern she saw on his arm.
08:59 This is her favorite pattern. This, in many different villages, it means different things, but to her it means the snake.
09:06 It was like poetry. Poetry on skin, you know? Like everything, our connection, our bridge.
09:12 It just gave me like a tap on the shoulder, like, "Good job." Like a pat on the shoulder.
09:19 El has been running his own shop specializing in tribal tattoos in Stanton, California, since 2011.
09:26 What's up, Verona?
09:28 He moved here from the Philippines when he was nine years old.
09:32 He spent two decades studying the motifs and artifacts of Filipino indigenous tribes, including the Kalinga.
09:42 Coming over here as an immigrant, we have to assimilate and then we have to put that in the backburner of the culture.
09:49 He says each pattern was used to tell a person's unique tribal story.
09:54 It's almost like a resume. If you're a weaver, there will be weaving patterns there.
09:58 This lady, you could tell she's very rich because hers is very detailed and stacked together.
10:03 Today, El mostly tattoos with a modern gun.
10:08 But he knows how to use dozens of traditional tools and often makes his own.
10:17 He runs a two-year apprenticeship where he teaches these methods to other artisans.
10:21 Some, like Joseph Ash, work with El at the shop.
10:26 This is called the ulugatantul or the snakebite. It's originally from the Isnik area of the Philippines.
10:33 I actually learned how to use this tool during my apprenticeship.
10:37 With the amount of years I actually used this tool, I've actually gotten pretty damn quick with it.
10:44 Clients can get custom tattoos based on their ancestors' motifs.
10:48 This is going to be the start of a Hussayan flower.
10:52 It's just at the centerpiece and then later the petals can go in around.
10:56 So this is part of a traditional leg design.
11:00 My family is originally from the Hussayan.
11:04 This one is based off of what my ancestors would traditionally get.
11:13 I'm the first generation born here.
11:15 So for me it felt like it's more of an awakening, going back to celebrating where my family came from.
11:26 In 1998, El co-founded the Mark of the Four Waves,
11:32 an organization that helps Filipinos and other indigenous groups connect with their roots through tattoos.
11:38 They host social and educational events throughout the year.
11:42 Next thing you know, there's just a tidal wave of all these Filipinos really thirsty for knowledge.
11:47 It was pretty amazing because all that I was talking about, they experienced too.
11:52 The tattoos have become a symbol of self-identity to clients and to the people working in his shop.
11:59 As you grow up as a woman, a Filipino woman, you're like not exactly feel the prettiest person.
12:07 I felt to me like kind of like accept myself more. I look at myself more like, okay, I look awesome now.
12:13 Because of Wangod, what was once deemed taboo is now sought after by locals and tourists in the Philippines.
12:24 And a job that was traditionally reserved for men is predominantly done by women today.
12:33 Another of Wangod's nieces, Eva Oge, runs her own tattoo business.
12:37 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
13:05 And new businesses have sprung up all around the village.
13:09 Today, there are over 150 artists practicing batok in Buscalan.
13:15 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
13:26 And her life has changed too.
13:32 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
13:40 Wangod's legacy continues to live on through the next generation in Buscalan.
13:47 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
14:07 [Eva laughing]
14:11 [Eva speaking in foreign language]
14:18 [Music]
14:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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