LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY – MANILA

College of International Hospitality and Tourism Management

THE WHANG-OD ACADEMY ISSUE

Midterm Requirement

Sustainable tourism
 1. Will it be beneficial for the culture of the Butbut Tribe?
People in Kalinga treasures their “pagbabatok” because it is a part of their culture and
tradition. And creating a tutorial academy for “pagbabatok” will not be beneficial to their
community and tribe because aside from the fact that it will disrespect their culture and tradition,
this might also reduce or lessen the significant and symbol of the tattoo. Because “pagbabatok” is
very symbolic not only to the Butbut tribe but also to the Filipino. Many people weather
international or local, go to Buscalan, Kalinga on purpose just to get the tattoo from Apo Whang-
od because she is the last mambabantok in the tribe of butbut in buscalan, Kalinga, and
conducting an online tutorial will just commodified the significance of the tradition and will just
exploit the tribe and their culture. People like Nas daily will just make use of their rich tradition
for subscribers while exploiting them. Even though the online tutorial might help in spreading
the knowledge about the “pagbabatok” it is still not good for the tribe because if anyone can do
it, the sense and importance of the culture and tradition as well as the recognition of tattoo will
be gone.

2. Do you think Nas Academy really scammed/exploited Apo Whang-od?

The way I see it, Nas academy really scammed and exploited Apo Whang-od, because
according to Apo Whang-od she did not understand the words that the translator is saying,
meaning she didn’t understand the contract very well. However, Nas daily is claiming that she
already signed the contract. Though, according to the NCIP there is an apparent disparity with
the mark on the contract paper and the other that attached by Apo Whang-od on a clean paper.
Despite of all of that Nas daily still proceeds on posting the tutorial online, not until the
grandniece of Whang-od post something on social media which made Nas daily to take down the
tutorial poster that already posted in the internet. Nas daily abuse the ignorance of the tribe and
commodified them. He used the tribe for his own good by exploiting them and using them as a
content to gain more views and followers which will generate income to his channel.

3. What is your take on this issue? Share your insights, recommendations, and suggestions.
This issue can be avoided if we have a programs that will protect our local tribes. We
must protect the cultures and traditions of our local tribes such as the Butbut tribe because
there are only few of them left who knows how to do the “pagbabato”. Protecting them will
 help in culture preservation that is beneficial to the present and future generation of our
country. Protecting our culture and tradition from people like Nas daily is very vital, because
if we let people like Nas daily to use our cultures and traditions for their own good, our
culture will be exploited and be commodified. Which is not beneficial to the local tribes
because this will remove the sense of their traditions as well as it will disrespect their tribe
and culture.

REFERENCES:

Cruz, D. (August 4 2021). Nas Daily takes down masterclass featuring Whang-Od after
grandniece calls it ‘scam’. Inquirer.Net. Retrieved from
https://entertainment.inquirer.net/417529/nas-daily-takes-down-masterclass-featuring-whang-od-
after-grandniece-calls-it-scam

Cruz, D (August 30 2021) Nas Academy denies NCIP findings on Whang-Od

controversy: ‘This isn’t fair’. Inquirer.Net. Retrieved from.
https://entertainment.inquirer.net/420016/nas-academy-denies-ncip-findings-on-whang-od-
controversy-this-isnt-fair

Mambabatok: Tattoo tradition in the Philippines. (April 24 2018). Phil Life. Retrieved from.
https://www.phillife.co/mambabatok-whang-od/

Riñoza, J. (October 17 2020). Young woman seeks to preserve indigenous tattoo art in northern
Philippines. Benar News. Retrieved from.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/slideshows/historic-tattoos-10172022151409.html