Catriona Gray. Image: Instagram/@catriona_gray
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray has resumed accepting applicants for her Nas Academy online workshops, after the educational platform reconciled with tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od and her community.
The beauty queen announced that the “Catriona Gray Academy” online classes will be returning to the platform, as seen on her Instagram page yesterday, Nov. 13. Gray stopped accepting applications for the workshops last August, after Nas Academy was accused of setting up a “scam” workshop with Kalinga mambabatok Whang-Od.
“Hey queens and kings! I’m so excited to announce the resuming of my course: ‘The Catriona Gray Academy’ as we open up to all new applicants in the Philippines and around the world!” she said. “I can’t wait to meet all of my students!”
Gray’s workshop with Nas Academy will teach participants ways to build self-confidence, deal with anxiety and prepare for presentations.
Cornerstone Entertainment, which handles Gray, acknowledged that the issue involving Nas Academy and Whang-Od has been resolved, in a statement on its Instagram page, also yesterday.
“Cornerstone Entertainment Inc. gladly acknowledges that the issue of Nas Academy with Whang-Od and the Kalinga community has been resolved. In this light, we have agreed to continue the partnership with the aim of making a positive impact to the lives of Filipinos through education,” it stated.
Nas Academy, led by Israeli vlogger Nas Daily (real name: Nuseir Yassin) was accused last August by Whang-Od’s grandniece of setting up a “scam” workshop with the iconic mambabatok (traditional tattoo artist). According to Palicas, her grandmother was unaware of any contract for a “Whang-Od Academy” with the platform, but Yassin insisted that the arrangement was approved by the tattoo master.
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) found in its investigation that Whang-Od did not consent to any arrangement with Nas Academy. While Yassin earlier rejected these results, the academy has confirmed that the contract is now “null and void.” It has since reconciled with the Butbut tribe of Kalinga.
Yassin, who was criticized for supposedly “Pinoy-baiting” and for being “exploitative,” told fans last August that they had “pure” intentions when they set up “Whang-Od Academy.” He then explained that the issue may have been a result of an “internal dispute” that the platform could not control.
Whang-Od is an iconic traditional tattoo artist from Buscalan, Kalinga. Given her contributions to Filipino culture and the indigenous art of tattooing, she was conferred the Dangal ng Haraya Award in 2018 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. JB
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