Tattoo: A Filipino Culture

[chachime]

In the Philippines, body art has been around since before the country was invaded by foreign people. It was first practiced in the regions of Visayas and in Mindanao. Now, body art is better known as tattooing, similar to old fashioned body painting but with the use of much better inks, and machines to apply the ink to the human skin. The tattoos of today are somehow similar to those original designs of the past tattoo artist. Body tattooing is done with various reasons, some wear body tattoos as a sign of power for them to be respected, however some may do it just because they want to signify dominance and masculinity. But the most common meaning behind every tattoo is the communication it says when it is painted permanently in the skin and how the people with tattoos blend in the society as a normal person. People’s first impression on persons with body tattoos may include fear and that they are untrustworthy. Worst, the look at them as if they are threats to the society, they got bad attitudes and that they have been imprisoned. They are collectively termed with these adjectives. However, there are meanings far more that these impressions. Meanings that only the tattoo artists and those engaging in tattooing can explain.

[MikeB]

There was a time when tattoos were relatively rare and singled a person out as a non-conformist. Nowadays, they are more like a fashion statement.

[buttercup1984]

january 2012, while i was at a salon in cavite...a bakla actually asked me if i was a tomboy @_@...it was all becuz of my tattoos :lol:

[tiger31]

my g,f reckons most philippina,s do not like tattoos because she says like the op says guys are maniacs lol or ex convicts ,gang members she reeled off lots of others hahahahah maybe thats why she,s with me coz i,m tattooless lol and a good boy lmao.

[Americano]

Where I'm from in America most people don't think anything negative about a tattoo but here in the Philippines most companies won't hire you if you have a tattoo. Get a tattoo in the Philippines and you are f@cked for life.

[Will]

My asawa told me that she never would have started dating me if she knew I had a tattoo. She already had her hooks in me before she learned I had one.... and by that time, she was under the spell of my charm! :mocking:

[Julia]

My asawa told me that she never would have started dating me if she knew I had a tattoo. She already had her hooks in me before she learned I had one.... and by that time, she was under the spell of my charm! :mocking:

:thumbsup:

[Julia]

NO for any tattoo in my body... :no:

[i am bob]

When I was in Basic Training for the CAF, I thought about getting a tattoo. Butg on our first weekend free, I decided to stay close to the base and just venture into the local town. Another friend of mine went to Halifax to get a tattoo. He was going to be Army after we finished basic training (remember - Canada is all one service) and was suppose to be going RCR (Royal Canadian Regiment) - the same as his father and grandfather. And so he had RCR proudly tattooed on his arm. That Monday, he was informed by our NCO i/c training that he was transferred to the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) instead. Oh no! A no-hook private showing up with an RCR tattoo to a PPCLI base? He'd have his throat slit and body desecrated before sundown his first day! So the very next weekend, off he goes to Halifax where, for an undisclosed small fortune, the tattoo artist was able to change RCR to PPCLI. Back to our training base and first thing Monday morning, our NCO once again informed my friend that he was able to have his orders quashed and he was back in the RCR - yup! With his PPCLI tattoo! To keep this short, let me just say that he was given a couple weeks medical leave, had his tattoo completely removed (back in the days of surgery and skin grafting as the only method), a couple more weeks for recovery that coincided with his cell time to cover his charge of a "self-inflicted wound", and a loan through Horse-Face Charlie (HFC) to pay for the fines and surgery. Not to mention he didn't graduate from Basic Training for another 2 months or so after us.

So, now, whenever I think of getting a tattoo, all I have to do is go down memory lane and.... Forget about it!!!

:mocking:

[Jake]

I'm probably the only US Navy sailor that does not have a tattoo. During all those port visits to

Hong Kong I didn't waste my time and money to beautify myself. However, these days I would

like a nice wing tattoo right above my butt crack. I'm an equal opportunity guy and would display

my butt crack to any southern CA chick that openly shows hers off......he, he.