Nas Academy, an online learning platform created by Nuseir Yassin aka Nas Daily, refuted allegations that the Whang-Od Academy is a "scam."
In an official statement, they noted how the 104-year-old Kalinga tattoo master and Dangal Haraya awardee herself, is aware of it, contrary to the recent statement of her grandniece Grace Palicas.
“WARNING!!! Whang Od Academy is a scam. My grandmother did not sign any contract with @NasDaily to do any academy. Some people are taking advantage of our culture. PLEASE HELP US STOP this disrespect to the legacy of Apo Whang Od and the Butbot Tribe,” she posted on “Tattooed by Apo Whang-Od” Facebook group.
According to Nas Academy, they approached Whang-Od because just like most, they love her.
"We love her traditions, and are inspired by her. We wanted to share her culture for future generations to appreciate and respect the ancient Kalinga tradition of mambabatok. So we pitched her family the idea of creating Whang-Od Academy," they shared.
"Her and her family present both loved this idea, and have worked WITH US to build it, with Whang-Od teaching herself. As a matter of fact, Whang-Od’s trusted niece, Estella Palangdao, was present and translated the content of the contract prior to Whang-Od affixing her thumbprint, signifying her full consent to the project. This is the clearest evidence that it is not a scam and achieved the consent of her and her immediate family," they added along with the video.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE: