Zeinab Harake enters the fold of celebrities who had the honor of getting inked by the renowned tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od.
On February 15, 2024, Zeinab conveyed her apologies to her followers on her social-media platforms for the delayed vlog posting, as a result of a soulful trip to Buscalan—a mountain village in Kalinga, in the Luzon Cordilleras.
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Buscalan is not only the home of Butbut tribe, that are known for being fierce headhunters, but also of Apo Whang-Od, the only living traditional tattoo master in Kalinga with the honorable title of Mambabatok.
Capturing her experience with the legendary tattooist, Zeinab expressed in her post: "sobrang solid napaka ganda ng pilipinas at kilig padin kay apo whang od"
In a series of photos, Zeinab can be seen getting Whang-Od's signature 3-dot tattoo, symbolizing the revered Mambabatok, along with her apprentices Grace and Elyang.
The 25-year-old vlogger had her new ink placed just a few centimeters above her tiger face tattoo on her left arm.
Other celebrities who got inked by the 106-year-old artist were Maine Mendoza, Kim Atienza, and Drew Arellano.
Apo Whang-Od's journey in the art of pagbabatok began in her youth. She was known for tattooing the highest number of warriors and headhunters in her tribe.
While there is a clamor for the highest citation for Filipino artists to be conferred upon her, Whang-Od is deemed ineligible for the National Artist Award.
However, she is eligible for GAMABA (Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, lit. 'Award for the Creators of the Country'), also known as the National Living Treasures Award — for her contributions to the country's intangible cultural heritage.
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