00:00When you think about just the northern Philippines, there's so many tribal societies that tattooed.
00:09But what really piqued my interest were the tattoos of the Kalinga.
00:17She's the world's oldest tattoo artist. She's over 105 years of age.
00:23She is constantly breaking barriers and showing people that age doesn't have any limits.
00:29It's the only thing that remains today that's 100% Filipino.
00:36There was great concern that Wang Ad being sort of the last generation, the last tattooist,
00:41this part of Kalinga identity and culture would also disappear within the next few years.
00:47Growing up in the Philippines, tattoos were strictly prohibited.
00:51This wasn't something that was unique to my household.
00:54I saw this sentiment echoed all across the Philippines.
00:59There's been three months of police who have seen tattoos.
01:04We have to understand that the Philippines is a Catholic country.
01:07We're very traditional and we're very conservative.
01:10I felt I needed to go back home to unpack part of our culture that once was lost.
01:19It's so hard to believe how things have changed so rapidly.
01:21In every corner of the village, there's somebody hand tapping. It's like the song of Kalinga Batak.
01:30It's really exciting to see this new generation of tattoo artists.
01:43In 2017, there were probably like 15 or 20 tattooists and now they're about a hundred.
01:53I think it's really important to them.
01:54And I think that's really important to know how to do this,
01:55because even if they have not yet, they're still alive.
02:00Kasi kahit mawala man siya, still pa rin.
02:03Kung wala siya, pa wala.
02:06Iyengkaw sa lokag, yung hato.
02:09Sa debato diyan, irayat siya.
02:12Irayat siya, ad-mayit, anadya ka-importeray hato.
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