This tattoo was submitted by Francis Joy Baterina of Seattle, Washington. According to him, he love the face of Virgin Mary here.

If you are nationalistic like Allistair Jay of San Francisco, might consider to have this kind of tattoo. It is bold and need not to say more on how much you love your country, your origin and your blood.

Noel F. (Manama, Bahrain)
Pinoy Pride by SpillN-ink Tattoos
“The design was originally for my right forearm. One day, a Fil-Am asked me that he wanted a tat to represent his roots. I showed him the sketch and there it was.”

No it’s not the grouper fish. It’s the great Lapu-Lapu, then king of Mactan, whom you can see in the middle.

Regarded as the first Filipino hero, Lapu-Lapu is the first native who resisted Spanish colonization by Spanish soldiers when its leader—ironically, a Portuguese—Ferdinand Magellan set foot to the Philippine Islands year 1521. Though the Muslim chieftain was killed along with his men during the Battle of Mactan, he will always be remembered as a hero.

Having sad those, Lapu-Lapu can be seen as a central figure in the official seal of the Philippine National Police. His figure was also use in one of the now-defunct one centavo coins. A type of grouper fish which can only be found in the country is named after him. Believe it or not, but an alcoholic drink was also named in his honor.

So when you say Lapu-Lapu, it isn’t only the fish. He’s a hero worthy of admiration.

Chris (East Coast Virginia)
Sabong by Chris Garcia Ocean Mystic Virginia Beach

Sabong or cockfight, which is believed to have started during pre-Hispanic era, is a turf of activity for Filipinos where demarcation between the rich and the commoners blurs. A game enjoyed by both young and immemorial, sabong is often tagged as a male-oriented “national past time” in which gamblers and playgoers, regardless of one’s social status, place on their bets in equal amount. Sabong can also be a very good window of Filipinos’ traits, one as being innovative. Slain roosters are either deplumed for feather duster or cooked in different dishes.

Here’s a good looking shoulder tattoo with the American made Filipino hero, Jose Rizal with the Philippine Sun with eight rays. I find this odd for the following reasons:

Jose Rizal was a conformist. He did not want to join the revolution to oust the Spanish. He actually wanted the group of islands named the Philippines to become a province of Spain.
The “Philippine” Sun’s eight rays represent the eight provinces that rebelled against Spain.

Again, is this tattoo representative of the duality of the so-called Filipino, misunderstanding of history, or blind pride? What do you think? Read something I wrote about 10 years ago on this subject after the jump….

Did you know that it was the Americans who made Rizal our national hero? In 1901 the Governor of the so-called Philippines, William Howard Taft suggested to the Philippine Commission that we so-called Filipinos be given a national hero. He boldly states,

“And now, gentlemen, you must have a national hero.” “Taft with other American colonial officials and some conservative Filipinos, chose him (Rizal) as a model hero over other contestants – Aguinaldo too militant, Bonifacio too radical, Mabini unregenerate.”*

Charles Bohlen, one-time ambassador to the Philippines, described Taft’s motivations like this: “Taft quickly decided that it would be extremely useful for the Filipinos to have a national hero of their revolution against the Spanish in order to channel their feelings and focus their resentment backward on Spain. But he told his advisers that he wanted it to be someone who really wasn’t so much of a revolutionary that, if his life were examined too closely or his works read too carefully, this could cause us any trouble. He chose Rizal as the man who fit his model.”**

There is no doubt that Rizal was a great man and was unjustly murdered. But by elevating him to national hero, we neglect the other great men. In school, media, government and etc we hear Rizal this, Rizal that, until our ears bleed. What about our heroes who advocated independence for us? Rizal pointed out problems in the Spanish colonial society, but he did not want to drive out the Spanish. He never wanted independence for the so-called Philippines. That was the important factor because it would be a contradiction for the so-called Filipino people to advocate independence from the USA. He did not join Bonifacio and Katipunan. He was a conformist. He wanted better conditions for so-called Filipinos under Spanish rule. Taft also picked Rizal because he was already dead and he could not speak against the American neocolonialism.

Every aspect of so-called Filipino live is infested by our colonial and neocolonial past, even our heroes have become used against us.

*Between Two Empires by Theodore Friend, 1965, p.16
**Portrait of A Cold Warrior by Joseph B. Smith, 1976, p.283

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) was a Filipino revolutionary leader and one of the main leaders of the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century. He is regarded as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution” and one of the most influential national heroes of his country. A Freemason, Bonifacio was the leading founder of the Katipunan organization which aimed to start an independence movement against Spain.

From Wikipedia

Submitted by Marco and inked by Chris Garcia at Ocean Mystique Tattoos, Virginia

Sent in by Jonathan from Makati, Philippines

Grand Son of great Manuel Arguilla…. Gilbert finally had a real tattoo. he is sick looking at pop fish tats. He wanted real palengke pop culture!!

Artist: Racquel Natividad or Rakel Tattoo
Location: Sta.Cruz,Laguna
Email: inkpoetry@yahoo.com

Photo by Randy Olaes

_SRT2420, originally uploaded by xavier alcala.

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Lapu-lapu, originally uploaded by Atari, Gracinha & Marco.

The first known one to rebel the Spanish. While most of us will agree that he was a great man and obviously one of the 1st “Filipino” heroes, why don’t we listen to him and keep his mentality alive? Do you think Lapu-lapu would be sad as to what his people have become? I believe he would not want to be called “Filipino”.