Filipino-American stand-up comedian Jo Koy gets tattoed by Apo Whang-od

Tinglayan, Kalinga – Over the past years, local and international tourists including known personalities have come to the Municipality of Tinglayan to meet the oldest mambabatok, Apo Whang-od, and the latest visitor was no other than Jo Koy.

Jo Koy is a famous Filipino-American stand-up comedian and actor who had four highly rated and successful comedy specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. He broke a number of records in his sold-out shows and that his comedy album, Live From Seattle, reached no. 1 on the Billboard Charts in 2019.

On Wednesday, July 30, Jo Koy posted photos with Whang-Od in Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga. In the photographs, the comedian was captured getting inked by the legendary tattoo artist.

“I’ve been blessed by the legend. Mahal kita Apo Whang-Od,” he captioned.

The post drew comments and positive vibes from the netizens with one of them writing, “Inked by the hands of history - tattooed by Apo Whang-Od, carrying the spirit of the Cordilleras and the soul of the Filipino. This isn’t just a tattoo - it’s tradition, legacy, and pride etched in skin.”

Whang-od is a recipient of the prestigious Dangal ng Haraya Award given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in 2018. Before that she was nominated for the National Living Treasures Award (Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan) in 2017.