were also exempted from compulsory male tattooing customs (batok). It was normally considered shameful and unattractive for adult men to have no tattoos, which were indicators of achievements and bravery. It was otherwise socially acceptable for asog to be mapuraw or puraw ("unmarked [skin]", compare with Samoan pula{{okinau}}), if they choose to be so.

Due to their association with the feminine, they were regarded as having greater powers of intercession with the anito