MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit on 106-year-old Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od on Wednesday, February 14.

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“She is a pioneer in shattering gender stereotypes, venturing into tattooing when it was just a man’s exclusive preserve,” Marcos said. “She is a keeper of oral traditions and a mentor, teaching a new generation of artists, thus ensuring that her art form lives on to tell tales of her community’s history.”

“As Apo Whang-Od’s works appeal to diverse cultures and across political divides, she becomes an enabler for unity and an example of an idea that binds us all. She is truly a national treasure,” he added.

Whang-Od, who started tattooing at the age of 15, is known as the last living mambabatok, an artist who uses thorn and bamboo sticks to draw tribal design tattoos.

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The Presidential Medal of Merit, as per Executive Order No. 236, is given to the following:

• individuals who delivered outstanding service to the President, the administration, or Cabinet members
• individuals who gained prestige for the country in an international event, in the fields of literature, the sciences, the arts, entertainment, and other civilian fields of endeavor that foster national pride and artistic excellence
• retiring cultural workers or artists, after serving the government in an official or advisory capacity
• foreign artists who have promoted Philippine culture
• individuals who provided acts of merit that enhance the prestige of the Philippines

Aside from Whang-Od, Wednesday’s ceremony in the Palace also celebrated government workers who received the Dangal ng Bayan, Presidential Lingkod Bayan, and CSC (Civil Service Commission) Pag-asa awards. – Rappler.com