Jrock of Vallejo, California shared this tattoo to us. On his arm is the map of the Philippine Island. Philippines is composed of 7,107 islands and known for its enchanting places, tropical paradise and exotic faces. No wonder Filipinos are proud that they live in Philippines and that they have Filipino blood because this place is truly magical and inviting.

This tattoo is not just presenting to other people where you live. This is also a sign of faithfulness and devotion to your beloved country. So keep the spirit and tell the world that there are no distance places with a person who sees his country as one.

This tattoo with Andres Bonifacio and his patriotism as the design is from Christian Jalandoni of Dumaguete City. The design was created by Dino Lezama.

To give you a brief overview, Andres Bonifacio was the “Father of Filipino Revolution” and one of the founders of “Katipunan” or “KKK” that fought against Spaniards for Philippine independence. After the struggle against Spain, he and his brother was shot and buried in a shallow grave at Mount Buntis.

No wonder why Christian engraved Bonifacio in his arm. A true hero deserves more than just a monument.

3 Stars and a Sun was based on the Philippine flag. The three stars stands for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao while the sun that have 8 rays represents the eight places that fought against the Spaniards.

This one is from PJ of Las Vegas, Nevada. He only have one message and that is “please don’t copy” the design. Obviously, this one is his original concept of 3 Stars and a Sun.

I just wanted to say thank you for all the work and time you have put into my piece. Every time I look at it I can’t believe that I have it on my arm, Everyone that has seen it can’t believe how good it looks . It is probably one of the best tattoos design I have ever seen, and I don’t say that just because it’s on my arm. you are an amazing artist and I am honored to have you as my tattoo artist designer. Maraming Salamat

Visit PinoyTattoos.com/Translations to get artwork like this.

This tattoo of Mark from Orange Country, CA is a combination of the Philippine sun and Sarimanok. The two elements produced a very symbolic, artistic and meaningful tattoo. It has a lot of meaning and I’m sure you also have your own interpretation too.

But for Mark, this one boldly says that he is really proud of being a Filipino.

One way of showing you are proud of your motherland than anything else is by tattooing your country’s map with its symbolic signs in your legs. Just like what Francis of Angeles, California did to his legs. He had his leg tattooed with 3 Stars and a Sun with Philippine Island to show the world how beautiful his country is and to show the world that his skin is Filipino. He surely is a proud son of his “Inang Bayan!”

Jason (San Diego)
Ruivivar by Skin N Art
“RUIVIVAR and I’m proud to be a Filipino. This tats is my last name and we’re quite a few in our hometown. So I decided to write it in modified Spanish way and also to show that no matter where I am or who I’m with, I’ll say that I’m proud to be Pinoy.” 

Did he not know Third Watch?

If not, then he may not know Anthony Michael Ruivivar, one of the main casts of the NBC’s TV drama series Third Watch which last aired May 2005. And he may be interested in knowing the actor since both of them are of kin to Juan dela Cruz.

Anthony Michael’s father is of Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish descent while his mother is German and Scottish. The actor played the role of Carlos Nieto in the show which allowed him to show off his ethnicity that includes of the Filipino characteristic. Too bad he isn’t that visible on the screen now as he was before. 

We wonder if the inked Ruivivar is trying to pull a trick that he hasn’t heard of the actor Ruivivar.

Marn (Toronto, Canada)
Sun, 3 Stars, Consummatum Est by Chris of Adrenaline
“My ink represent my love for the Philippines. And the Latin script below is what Jose Rizal said before he was shot.”

Rizal’s reign, is it finished? Uh-oh. When we hear the name Jose Rizal the first thing that pops up in our minds is the word hero. Little did we know that for some, he is the real Son of God. In the Philippines, a group based in Bataan called Banal na Iglesia ng Bathalang Buhay venerates Rizal as if he is the real Messiah.

If one takes a deeper look, members of the group or Rizalians’ belief is quite intriguing. Rizal as the Son of God may not be acceptable for devoted Catholics as he was excommunicated by the Church throughout his time. Just imagine the chaos that might have occurred when Rizal was proposed to be elevated to sainthood during the 1980s.

Only in the Philippines!

Pete (Hawaii)
Pinoy/Pride with Philippine Sun and Stars by Felipe

What’s up with the ambigram? Admit it or not, it started to gain popularity when Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons was released a few years back. The book contains the famous ambigram of Illuminati which, when inverted, reads just the same. But has ambigram something to do with us, Filipinos? Answer is yes.

Ambigram is becoming a famous tattoo subject for most. See Parokya ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda’s surname inked on his right arm. In no time, the internet will be bombarded with Filipinos tattooed with ambigram since it is the in-thing.

Since we already are speaking of being a part of the fad, Philippines is now being tagged as a nation of copycats. We have the Pinoy Idol, Survivor Philippines, Kakasa ka bas a Grade 5 and more. We need not to tell you their counterpart. Funny? Not. Whatever happened to Filipino’s creative side?

Gerald Genus (Sac-Town, Cali)
by Cross Creek Tattoo in NC
“The Flag in tribal-ish style, a little bit different than the rest.”

Speaking of TRIBAL, did you know that as of 1990s a 100 plus highland tribal groups or a 3% of indigenous people have been known to be living in the Philippines?

Various tribes of various culture ranges from Luzon to Mindanao. We have the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao and more from our Igorot tribes of Cordillera, the T’boli and B’laan which are the two indigenous groups found in Mindanao, and let us not forget the Aetas that are mostly located in Zambales. The list goes on and we don’t want to bore you enumerating all.

Thumbs up for the Philippine government for their continuous effort of preserving our tribal groups. Indigenous people are encourage to speak in their native language, dress in their traditional clothing, and celebrate their tradition and culture.

Anonymous (Los Angeles)
Three Stars with a Sun and Flag by Mexicano Shop
“Proud to be Pinoy.”

It’s not always the Filipinos who are left by their conquerors acquiring their culture. We are leaving marks as well. Filipino’s impact on Mexican culture is very evident especially in the Pacific Coast. Residents there can be seen drinking tuba from coconut trees. They also are enthralled by kite-flying with the use of papel de China. Mexicans named their fishing boats panga which is believed to be of Filipino origin.

An Acapulco college teacher mentioned that Filipinos or Filipino-Mexicans are being largely ignored despite the major role they played during Mexico’s struggle for independence way back 1800s. Around 200 Filipino-Mexicans joined Gen. Jose Maria Morelos’ army in its Western Mexico fight.

I wonder why Japan, American, and Spain have friendship days with the Philippines. What about Filipino-Mexican Day? Is there a thing as such?