Actress Rhian Ramos gets personalized tattoo from Kalinga legend Apo Whang-od

Photo Courtesy || Rhian Ramos

Cordillera - When it comes to having someone respected give you a personalized tattoo, actress Rhian Ramos of GMA trusted the oldest mambabatok Apo Whang-od of Kalinga to give her one, actually two. 

Ramos braved the  17-hour road trip and 2-hour trek to Kalinga twice in her life just to get inked by tattoo legend Apo Whang-od. 

The actress shared on her Instagram photos and videos of her experience getting tattooed by Whang-od. 

Photo Courtesy || Rhian Ramos

Ramos personally designed her tattoo. 

"Round 2: the beginnings of my new (and hopefully, last) tattoo, designed by me, drawn by Grace and tapped in by Apo Whang Od, right above my last two tatts from them, the scorpion and hawk. Their energies are so open and giving. I'm just so grateful they agreed to this request. A little old, a little new," she wrote.

Photo Courtesy || Rhian Ramos

The 104-year old Apo Whang-od is a living treasure of Kalinga. She is well known for her charcoal-ink tattoos which is her technique in tattooing. 

In 2019, She was listed by a US travel magazine as among 10 Filipinos who are transforming the nation through sustainable tourism.

She became popular in 2009 after an anthropologist from the Discovery Channel did a documentary of her.