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Bea Millan-Windorski/Instagram
Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Bea Millan-Windorski recently made the trip to the remote mountain village of Buscalan in Kalinga province to get a traditional tattoo.
She was inked by Grace Palicas, granddaughter of the legendary mambabatok and Presidential Medal of Merit recipient Apo Whang-Od.
Millan-Windorski received a tattoo of three dots, which she said not only represents the "continuation of the mambabatok art form," but also her mother and grandmother who "shaped me into the woman who I am today."
"As a pageant queen I am often asked about my perception and definition of beauty, but I was reminded in the lush contours of the Cordillera and in the presence of the women mambabatok that beauty is more than meets the eye," she shared.
"For the Kalinga, tattoos are markers and enhancers of beauty. It was believed that you could not bring gold, silver, or any worldly possessions into the afterlife, you could only bring the markings on your bodies."
The beauty queen went on to commend the efforts of Apo Whang-Od to preserve the mambabatok for future generations, calling her a "trailblazer."
"My tattoo also serves as a reminder of the strength and perseverance of Filipino culture, one that I will be proud to share on the international stage," she ended.
Millan-Windorski has started her training for the 2026 Miss Universe pageant, which will be held in Puerto Rico in November.
She is aiming for the fifth crown after Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).