WHO IS WHANG-OD?
Whang-od Oggay (aka Maria Oggay) is a tattoo artist in Buscalan, Philippines. She’s also known as the last and oldest traditional Kalinga tattooist or mambabatok. Pambabatok came from the root word batok which means “to hit”. A mambabatok uses a hand-tapping tool, a stick tool with a calamansi thorn or a siit that sits at the end of the stick, to lightly tap the skin with the thorn to pierce the ink into the skin. Whang-od has been tattooing people since she was 15 years old. She used to tattoo Butbut Warriors who earned the tattoos as achievements. Now, she continues to practice her tattooing on tourists who visit Buscalan.
KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE
photo credits to google images 
photo credits to google images 
photo credits to google images
We believe that Whang-od should be a GAMABA awardee as she is supposedly the “last” and oldest mambabatok in the Philippines. Because of her, more people are now interested about the kind of tattoo she is doing. A GAMABA awardee is called as a national living treasure as he or she preserves or continues the ethnic or traditional art of a specific culture. Whang-od is a possible nominee for GAMABA because she is continuing tattooing (pambabatok), a part of the culture of Butbut people, a larger part of the Kalinga group. Without a doubt, she is very much deserving of the GAMABA award.
WHO IS OSCAR VILLAMIEL?
Oscar Villamiel is a multi-media artist who produces large scale installation works through the collation and collecting of found materials from urban and rural environments. Villamiel’s work reflects the current socio-political situation in the country, highlighting elements of poverty, consumerism, and religion. He held his first one-man exhibition, a large-scale installation titled Wounded Spirit, in 2009 at the Art Center of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong, featuring large-scale multimedia paintings and His massive installation Payatas, which features thousands of doll heads, was chosen to represent the Philippines in the Singapore Biennale exhibition in 2013. His art career may have started later in life, but his installations have enthralled audiences for the past decade.
A PASSION FOR INSTALLATION ARTS
photo credits to google images 
photo credits to google images 
photo credits to google images
We believe that Oscar Villamiel is deserving of a NAA awardee for the passion and time he puts into his craft, making his work be able to convey a deeper understanding of the larger truths of the world. With his work of installation arts, he is able to express himself as he sheds light onto bigger problems that people need to take notice of. Because of him, more people have now turned their attention to the messages he conveys, even gaining national attention.
A NAA awardee is the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippines arts, and Oscar has made plenty of contributions as he continues to be showcased in more exhibitions in the coming future.
References:
Shirin Bhandari (2018, November 5). 10 Contemporary Filipino Artists to Know https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/top-10-filipino-contemporary-artists-where-to-find-them/?fbclid=IwAR0Rko-MxeZaC6ydYgsj-eBF_sKmJzPw45vjFo2_y1F8Jb130uaMaLSh35g
Lisa Ito (2018, July 28). Back to Nature – Oca Villamiel. A Braver Beckoning https://finaleartfile.com/back-to-nature-oca-villamiel/
Sarah Barnes (2019, August 9). 102-Year-Old Tattooist Is Keeping an Ancient Philippine Tattoo Tradition Alive. Retrieved from: https://mymodernmet.com/whang-od-tattoo-artist/
Credits to google images for the photos used.
NORTHERN PIPOL 