This woman is the oldest woman to pose for the cover of Vogue
2023-04-01 18:49:24
TiranaPost
The model of the latest issue of Vogue Philippines made history.
Apo Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, is an indigenous woman and legendary tattoo artist. She is also 106 years old.
Originally from a small mountain village called Buscalan, the centenarian is known for her traditional tattooing technique, called batok. Using a sharp stick and charcoal soot, Whang-Od has been practicing her art since she was a teenager.
The magazine describes how Whang-Od's popularity has helped put her town on the map, attracting tattoo fans and tourists to the tattoo site.
She has also trained her granddaughters - Grace Palicas, 26, and Elyang Wigan, 23 - to follow in her footsteps.
"Apo Maria 'Whang-Od' Oggay symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit," Vogue Philippines wrote in a tweet. "Declared to be the last mambabatok of her generation, she has engraved on her skin the symbols of the Kalinga tribe that signify strength, courage and beauty."
106 years old and still working. "I will serve visitors until they can see me," she says.
