Online course featuring tattoo artist Whang-od taken down after grandniece cries foul
The online learning platform Nas Academy took down one of its offered courses featuring Kalinga tattoo artist Whang-od.
This was after Whang-od's grandniece slammed the course, calling it a “scam” and warned people from signing up.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Gracia Palicas said that Whang-od would not be participating in the course billed “Learn the Ancient Art of Tattooing” under the Nas Academy brand.
Nas Academy is a training platform founded by Arab Israeli vlogger Nuseir Yassin of Nas Daily fame.
The website carries a variety of online courses headed by experts in their respective fields.
The “Learn the Ancient Art of Tattooing” is marketed as a course with Whang-od serving as a mentor for P750.
“WARNING!!! Whang Od Academy is a scam. My grandmother did not sign any contract with @NasDaily to do any academy,” Gracia, a tattoo artist herself, wrote.
“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.”
Photo by: Gracia Palicas (Facebook screenshot)
Another post by Gracia was shared by The Cordilleran Sun blog on its Facebook page where she gave a more lengthy explanation about the issue. The post has also been deleted.
“I spoke to her [Whang-od] and she said she did not understand what the translators were saying,” lamented Gracia.
“Am sorry to tell you [that] she will not be joining the @nasdaily. I know you have good intentions of sharing our culture to the next generation.
“However, our village concern is that some people are profiting and [exploiting] our culture.”
She reiterated that Whang-od is not aware of the contract and hopes that the matter will be settled soon to avoid confusion.
Photo by: Gracia Palicas (Facebook screenshot)
Born February 17, 1917, Whang-od Oggay is from Buscalan, Tinglayan in Kalinga.
She is touted as the “last" and oldest mambabatok or traditional Kalinga tattooist.
Whang-od, who is now 104 years, started tattooing at the age of 15 and has become an unexpected celebrity later on in her life, with locals and foreigners, including big-name personalities, visiting her to get a tattoo.
While her method remains crude and painful, clients consider it an honor to be tattooed by the cultural icon herself.
In a statement, however, Nas Academy denied Gracia's accusations, and stressed that Whang-od had full knowledge of the project marketed under her name.
“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,” wrote Nas Academy.
The statement posted on Facebook came with a video of the said meeting as proof.
“This is the clearest evidence that it is not a scam and achieved the consent of her and her immediate family.”
Nas Academy added, “Everybody was compensated for their time, and for every sale the Whang-Od Academy generates, most of it went directly to her and her family. We just provided the technology and the marketing.”
The course was temporarily taken down “out of respect for her family… while we resolve any issues that have arisen from these falsehoods.”
Check out some of the awesome tattoos of Filipino male celebrities in this gallery.