“Nothing changes,” this is what Nas Daily founder Nuseir Yassin had to say as he bared plans to open an office in the Philippines over the next two years despite facing recent controversy.
Yassin has recently been in hot water following the controversy surrounding the tattoo course offered by Nas Academy featuring tattoo master Apo Whang-Od.
“From our side, nothing changes. We continue to support the Philippines. Over the next two years, I’m opening an office in the country and will be creating hundreds of jobs,” Yassin said in a video.
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“And we will continue to make videos that inspire,” he added.
In the same video, Yassin insisted that narratives that they used Whang-Od are “false.”
To recall, Whang-Od’s grandniece Gracia Palicas earlier called the online tattoo course a “scam” since they were not aware of the supposed contract in relation to the online course.
Palicas also expressed concerns that their tribe’s art—the Bubut tribe of Kalinga—and culture are being exploited.
“In everything we do, we get permission. We work with the family directly and got their consent,” Yassin said.
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“We made sure to support them during these difficult times. We did all of this as an act of support, not an act of exploitation,” he added.
Yassin said they have decided to temporarily pause Nas Academy in the Philippines while they work with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples “to make sure everything is legal and okay because we care.”
“One thing my mother taught me is character. You cannot make fake news above our character. That is a red line,” Yassin said.
“Don’t get me wrong. We’re not perfect, we make mistakes, but our intentions are pure,” he added. (NM)
