I am collaborating with Dr. Alyssa Paredes of University of Michigan Department of Anthropology to organize an academic workshop on emergent issues in Philippine environments and foodways, which we fondly named “Halo-Halo Ecologies” (halo-halo is a popular dessert in the Philippines). The “Halo-Halo Ecologies” Workshop endeavors to explore the intersection of food and environment by bringing together a transnational community of scholars, writers, activists, and food enthusiasts from the Philippines and the diaspora.
The workshop will feature papers on any Filipino food item or practice, mundane or iconic, that combines the cultural commitments of food writing with attention to agrarian, marine/maritime, or urban-ecological issues. We hold that the Philippines and its diasporic networks are exemplary sites through which to examine this topic. Our main goals for this workshop are to:
- create a transnational community of Philippines and Filipino/x Studies scholars, writers, activists, and food enthusiasts interested in these issues,
- to map the contemporary body of literature on food and environment on the Philippines,
- craft a space within global theoretical discourse for our collective contributions, and
- contemplate on the trajectories, promises, and limitations, as well as set an agenda for the future.
We endeavor to achieve these goals by preparing a collection of selected papers from the workshop in the form of either an edited volume in a reputable international university press or a special issue in a high-impact journal.
For more information on the workshop, please visit: https://halohaloecologies.commons.yale-nus.edu.sg/
Marvin Montefrio 