Hand Tapped Tattoo of PH!

Batek or Batok means tattoo while Manbatek means tattoo artist and both terms are words from the Kalinga region where the oldest Mambabatok is found. As time passed we now collectively call traditional tattoo artists, Mambabatok.

Just as our traditional clothes every tribe and region has their own terms for tattoos, some of them are Fatek (Bonoc), Fatok/Burik/Batek (Benguet), Pika or Cadlet (Agtas), Appakku (Ibanags of Cagayan Valley), Patik (Visayas) and Pangotoeb (Manobo of Mindanao)

Different regions have different representations for tattoos, some as a rite of passage, some may be for fertility and some as a sign of wealth. However, due to the teachings of Christianism about how bodies are sacred they labeled the practice as evil making the art of hand tapped traditional tattoos slowly dwindle. But said tradition was slowly revived with the efforts of Apo Whang-od and the Butbut tribe.

Should anyone fancy to have their own traditional tattoo there will be a booth located inside the fair. Bear in mind that the mambabatok’s at the fair have been blessed and permitted by their tribes. Also, do take note, that the tattoos offered at the faire are the ones that are allowed to be tattooed for the general public.

If you want to read more, you can check the links below and if you are fortunate enough to get your hands on a copy of the Boxer Codex, it’s also another great source material about traditional Filipino tattoos and pre-colonial Philippines in general.

https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi…
https://journals.upd.edu.ph/…/article/download/3370/3138/
https://datupress.com/…/the-preconquest-filipino-tattoos/
https://fslmjournals.taylors.edu.my/…/SEARCH-2017-P3-9…
https://fslmjournals.taylors.edu.my/…/SEARCH-2017-P3-9…