On October 4, 2025, editors Alyssa Paredes and Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio officially launched their new book Halo-Halo Ecologies: The Emergent Environments Behind Filipino Food through a virtual event presented in partnership with Mama Sita’s Foundation and the University of Hawai‘i Press.
Joining them were the book’s distinguished contributors — 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.
The event also featured an engaging panel discussion with Ms. Felice Sta. Maria, Chef Giney Villar, and Mr. Paolo Paculan, moderated by Dr. Pia Arboleda, who together explored the many insights and implications of the anthology.
A New Lens on Filipino Food and Ecology
Halo-Halo Ecologies offers a groundbreaking exploration of the intersections between food, culture, and the environment. Using the iconic Filipino dessert halo-halo as a metaphor, the editors and contributors unpack how the Philippines’ diverse ecosystems and complex cultural histories shape what—and how—Filipinos eat.
The book invites readers to “reimagine what, how, and why we eat,” positioning Filipino food within broader ecological and socio-political contexts. Through layered narratives and critical research, the anthology highlights how fast food chains, sari-sari stores, indigenous farming, and coastal communities are all connected within the same ecological web — revealing the unseen systems and inequalities that shape the Filipino foodscape.
It also examines how agriculture, climate change, labor, and migration intersect with daily food practices, prompting readers to see food not only as nourishment but as a means for empowerment, resistance, and liberation.
Critical Reflections from the Panel
Cultural historian Felice Sta. Maria praised the anthology for bridging culture, politics, and ecology in food writing. She emphasized the importance of using “literary, political, and ecological terms together” to bring clarity and depth to the narratives surrounding Filipino cuisine.
Chef Giney Villar underscored the book’s message of resilience and collective care, noting that “society instills resistance to social disposability—no one is disposable.” She celebrated the work’s potential to inspire creativity across multiple formats—be it in comics, podcasts, or classrooms—broadening the reach of its ideas.
Meanwhile, Paolo Paculan drew a compelling comparison between Halo-Halo Ecologies and Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, describing both as mirrors of marginalized lives. Like Rizal’s masterpiece, Halo-Halo Ecologies amplifies the stories and struggles of those at the peripheries, offering a voice to communities often left unheard.
A Call to Rethink and Reconnect
At its core, Halo-Halo Ecologies: The Emergent Environments Behind Filipino Food is both an academic and cultural call to action—urging readers to engage with food as an ecological and ethical practice.
Available now in print through Amazon and the University of Hawai‘i Press, the anthology stands as a vibrant contribution to Philippine studies, food studies, and environmental humanities, challenging everyone to help build a more just and sustainable food future.
