Apo Maria "Whang-Od" Oggay is the cover star of the latest issue of Vogue Philippines.

The magazine announced on Thursday, March 30, that the Filipino artist is featured in its The Beauty Issue for April.

"Apo Maria 'Whang-Od' Oggay symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit," Vogue Philippines posted on social media.

The magazine added: "Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe—signifying strength, bravery, and beauty—on the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan."

Vogue also shared an excerpt from their interview with Whang-Od.

"When visitors come from far away. I will give them the tatak Buscalan, tatak Kalinga for as long as my eyes can see," the tattoo artist told the magazine in Butbut language.

Whang-Od's Vogue cover was photographed by Artu Nepomuceno.

"True beauty goes beyond the surface—it pierces through," Vogue highlighted.

"Apo Whang-Od’s life is inscribed in her skin, from accomplishments to ailments and names of long-gone lovers. It tells a story of bravery, beauty, and the rich heritage of the Kalinga tribe," the magazine remarked. 

Celebrities and netizens were quick to express their admiration for the magazine cover.

"What a beautiful cover!" actress Anne Curtis commented.

"This is the most beautiful cover ❤️❤️❤️ so proud can’t wait to see the rest!!!" supermodel Chloe Magno wrote.

"Epic!" content creator Bretman Rock said.

Whang-Od is a tattoo artist from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga. 

The tattoo artist was given the Dangal ng Haraya Award in 2018 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

In 2017, Whang-od was also nominated for the National Living Treasures Award (Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan), which is currently being processed by the NCCA. 

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In a 2009 Discovery documentary, American anthropologist Lars Krutak featured Whang-Od which marked the tattoo artist's introduction to the global audience.

Vogue Philippines' April issue is now available on newsstands and on shop.vogue.ph.