Photo of the Day

13 comments ↓

#1 lovelyn on 09.04.07 at 12:53 am

Are those real tattoos? Look at the designs, sakit nun a. Those have meanings I suppose.

My late Lola had one on her wrist. Sort of like a bracelet.

#2 Bill Bilig on 09.04.07 at 10:51 am

Hi Lovelyn,
I also can’t say if they are real. Siguro they are because these are old men wearing them.

From what I’ve heard, men have to earn there tattoos. So hindi siya basta-basta inilalagay. Maybe its also true with the women.

Thanks.

#3 Chyt on 09.04.07 at 11:09 am

I heard that among some Cordillera ethnolinguistic groups, only the kadangyan women could have tattoes on their bodies.

My student Arthur Odsey and I interviewed last week a tattooed ifontok woman. She said she paid P3.00 plus food for the art work on her arms in the 1930′s. That was much then, she says.

Ang galing ng art natin, ano?

#4 Anonymous on 09.04.07 at 9:06 pm

Yeah you’re right there Chyt only the kadangyans could have tattoos on their bodies during those days as they can pay for it with 1 water buffallo(artwork on both arms)

#5 Chyt on 09.05.07 at 8:52 am

So a water buffalo cost P3.00 in the 1930′s? Now, the amount cannot even buy a toy water buffalo! It cannot even buy one biogesic in the sari-sari store.

Ay, inayan.

#6 Bill Bilig on 09.05.07 at 9:24 am

Hi Chyt,
Ay isu? Thanks for the info. Ano kaya ang equivalent ng P3 ngayon. Maybe P3,000? Thanks

Hi Anonymous,
Thanks. Maybe tattoing is a lucrative enterprise back then ano. Imagine having lots of carabaos to work the fields. Thanks again.

Hi Chyt,
Inayan tet-ewa. And we keep on saying that we have progressed and that we are better off than our ancestors. Thanks

#7 pagano on 09.05.07 at 11:50 am

nice tattoos, but what catches my attention is the one with the shades… cooool.:-)

#8 Anonymous on 09.05.07 at 11:53 am

those tattos are real. its true, hindi basta-basta magpatattoo. these men are ‘mingors’.

#9 Bill Bilig on 09.06.07 at 3:44 am

Hi Pagano,
Oo nga

Hi Anonymous,
Thanks. Ang galing ng ink (or is it charcoal) na ginamit nila because it looks very fresh.

#10 NATS on 09.06.07 at 7:59 am

the tattoo is a symbol of bravery, earned after you have killed someone in a headhunting expedition before… for women it is a symbol of fortune, only for the rich…the tattoo is done using four needles with a charcoal from pine tree as ink… visit http://kalingatambayan.com/About.htm for more details…

#11 Bill Bilig on 09.06.07 at 10:21 am

Hi Nats,
Thanks for the link. I will add it to the post as an update.

#12 NATS on 09.07.07 at 3:29 am

mali ako hehe http://kalingatambayan.com/Cultures.htm

pala sory

#13 Bill Bilig on 09.07.07 at 1:48 pm

Hi Nats,
Thanks. Added that link already

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