By Environmentalists Stand Against Corruption Alliance
Environmentalists Stand Against Corruption Alliance expresses its full support for our member, John Sherwin Felix, a food heritage advocate and founder of Lokalpedia, who is currently facing libel charges after criticizing inaccuracies in the Department of Trade and Industry’s book “Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Food Traditions.”
Felix has dedicated years to immersing himself in various communities across the Philippines to document the country’s rich cultural and food heritage. His work highlights not only Filipino food traditions but also the deep connections between culture, natural resources and biodiversity. We believe that his statements regarding the publication were made in the spirit of constructive criticism and accountability, especially considering that the project was funded by public resources and, therefore, must be open to public scrutiny.
The libel case filed against Felix reflects a troubling pattern of attacks against environmentalists, cultural heritage workers and advocates who raise legitimate concerns about public programs and institutions. When government agencies respond to criticism with legal intimidation instead of transparency and accountability, it raises serious concerns about the misuse of public power and resources. This weaponization of the law not only silences dissent but also undermines efforts to hold institutions accountable for projects funded by taxpayers. Fighting corruption means protecting the right of every Filipino to question, critique and demand accuracy and integrity in publicly funded work especially when it involves the representation of Filipino culture and heritage.
As environmentalists, we emphasize the importance of open and critical discourse especially when the integrity of natural resources and the cultural heritage of Filipino communities are at stake.
We call on the Department of Trade and Industry to drop the charges against John Sherwin Felix, to respect the cultural knowledge of communities and to pursue more collaborative engagement with civil society organizations, independent documenters, scientific researchers and most importantly, the communities themselves who hold primary knowledge of their own culture.