Reviving Filipino Tattoo Traditions

The Tatak ng Apat na Alon Tribe is an organization that strives to revive the traditional tattoo culture of the Philippines. Just as tattoos and body art has grown, as well as Polynesian tattoos, so have Philippine and Filipino themed tattoos.

A common piece of body art is to get a tattoo in Baybayin, the ancient script of the Philippines. The tribe can specially design tattoos for individuals. All their designs are one of a kind, because it is based on the history of the individual, including their family, social, professional, and personal histories.

Indigenous Filipinos got tattoos as a sign of their status. The more ink, the more significant they were. They were called Pintados (painted ones), and they proudly displayed their tattoos for all to see. Today, many Filipinos do the same.