It’s been three years since Rhian Ramos got her very first traditional tattoo. The actress recently returned back to Kalinga to get another one from the province’s oldest mambabatok or tattoo practitioner, Whang-Od.
The 26-year-old once again braved the 17-hour road trip to Kalinga and a two-hour trek going up the mountain top village just to get a personalized tattoo on her upper leg. Rhian’s tattoo is more intricately designed this time around.
The actress posted on her Instagram account where she showed everyone her new tattoo. “I’m just so grateful they agreed to this request. A little old, a little new,” said Rhian.
She personally designed her tattoo and had it illustrated by Whang-Od’s grandniece Gracia Palicas. Despite the long line of tourists waiting to meet her, Whang-ud personally tattooed Ramos.
Rhian got her first tattoo of a traditional hawl design permanently inscribed by Whang-Od in 2004 when she first visited the village of Buscalan in Tinglayan, Kalinga.
Whang-ud, who is believed to be a hundred years old is the last practicing traditional tattoo artist of Kalinga. She became popular in 2009 after an anthropologist, Lars Krutak went to Buscalan and did a documentary for Discovery Channel.
