On October 4, 2025, editors Alyssa Paredes and Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio officially launched their book Halo-Halo Ecologies: The Emergent Environments Behind Filipino Food through a virtual event co-presented by the Mama Sita’s Foundation and the University of Hawai‘i Press.
The online launch gathered a wide roster of contributors, including Ma. Katrina Beatrice David Jacinto, Orven Mallari, Anthony D. Medrano, Dana Collins, Adrian De Leon, Nicolo Paolo P. Ludovice, Inigo Acosta, Jose Kervin Cesar B. Calabias, Jessie Varquez, Maria Carinnes Alejandria, Anacorita O. Abasolo, Ezekiel Sales, Cla D. Ruzol, Thea Kersti C. Tandog, Mary Jill Ira A. Banta, and Tami Alvarez. Sharing their reflections as part of the panel were Ms. Felice Sta. Maria, Chef Giney Villar, and Mr. Paolo Paculan, with Dr. Pia Arboleda serving as moderator throughout the discussion.
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Halo-Halo Ecologies is a layered exploration of Filipino food viewed through ecological, cultural, and social lenses. Using the iconic Filipino dessert halo-halo as metaphor, the editors and authors frame the Philippines’ diverse foodways as reflections of its intertwined identities, ecosystems, and histories. The book seeks to establish a fresh, foundational direction in Philippine, Filipino/Filipinx, and food studies—challenging readers to “reimagine what, how, and why we eat.”
The anthology delves into how food connects with livelihoods, environments, technology, culture, and politics. Essays examine the links between fast food chains and urban scavenging, between sari-sari stores and Indigenous agroecological practices, and between agricultural labor and the long-term impacts of agrochemicals. It also uncovers how communities fight to protect landscapes and coastal areas, confront debt and poverty cycles, and navigate the often-invisible ecologies within the Filipino diaspora.
Panelist Ms. Felice Sta. Maria praised the contributors for underscoring how food is inseparable from culture, politics, and ecology. She called for more critical and nuanced culinary writing, emphasizing that “literary terms and political terms together with ecological terms can add clarity to today’s food writers’ opinions.” The collection, she noted, invites readers to rethink food systems not just as sources of nourishment, but as instruments of liberation.
Chef Giney Villar echoed the same spirit, remarking that “society instills their resistance to social disposability... no one is disposable,” capturing the Filipino value of bayanihan. She lauded the book’s creative use of diverse formats and languages, encouraging its adaptation into other mediums—such as comics, podcasts, and educational curricula—to reach wider audiences. Villar posed a powerful question: “If food is a conveyor of culture, what kind of culture are we fostering?”
Meanwhile, Mr. Paolo Paculan compared Halo-Halo Ecologies to José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, describing the latter as a “time capsule” of life at the margins. He highlighted that, like Noli, this anthology amplifies the voices of marginalized communities—restoring their narratives and spotlighting the Philippines’ ongoing social and ecological struggles.
Ultimately, Halo-Halo Ecologies: The Emergent Environments Behind Filipino Food shines a light on the intertwined cultural, ecological, and social dimensions of Filipino cuisine. It aims to inspire readers to take part—each in their own way—in building food systems that are sustainable, inclusive, and just. The anthology is now available in print via Amazon and the University of Hawai‘i Press.
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