In my country, Bontoc can mean three things.
One, this is a small town in the north side of the country. It is one of the town of Mt. Province. Bontoc is the gateway towards Banaue and Sagada. It is few hours ride from Baguio City, the summer capital of Philippines.
Two, it can be one of the tribes composing theIgorot Ethnic group. They are the people of Mt. Province. Philippines houses hundreds of ethnic groups. Bontoc is one of the six tribes comprising the Igorotethnic group. They live way above north of the country. They are highly literate. But, they still preserve their heritage, beliefs and culture way back before Spanish occupation. ``Bontocshas native body tattoos.
They are called pintadoswhile tattoo artist are called mambabatok. Tattos are done in a natural way. No needles only torns of plants and charcoal. Tattoos in their culture is a sign of honor and achievement. The oldest mambabatok in the country can be found in Mt. Province. She is called Apo Wang-Od ; and tourists, local or international, come to see her to have a traditional tattoo. She is over 110yrs old.
Three, it can also be a dialect. People of Mt.Province calls their language Bontoc as well.
