Online learning platform Nas Academy has resolved its dispute over a botched course offering with revered Kalinga tattoo artist, Apo Whang-od and her tribe, the Butbut, the government body for indigenous peoples said Sunday.
In a "customary process" arranged by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), representatives of Nas Academy "formally" apologized to Whang-Od and other representatives of her indigenous community, conceding to the community's wishes to declare the previous contract it offered to be null and void.
"Ang mga komunidad ay nagpapasalamat pero yung MOA na napirmahan, ang gusto ng komunidad ay null and void parang gagawa tayo ng bagong MOA," tribe leader Miguel Atumpa said in a video uploaded by Nas Academy.
The contract was previously described by NCIP as "grossly onerous", having failed to abide with government laws that are in place to protect indigenous peoples. Until Sunday, Nas Academy, represented by founder vlogger Nas Daily, had repeatedly argued it did not scam Whang-od in anyway as he was losing tens and thousands of followers.
By the end of their meeting, the two parties shared a meal, again in accordance with the Butbut's customs and tradition as a "sign of healing and reconciliation", NCIP said.
WHAT WENT BEFORE
What Went Wrong With Nas Daily and Whang-Od? Anthropologist Explains
Whang-Od Did Not Consent to Teach at Nas Academy: Gov't IP Body
Whang-Od Didn't Sign Up to Teach in Nas Academy, Granddaughter Says