John Sherwin Felix, also known as Lokalpedia, after his online project, is a Filipino food heritage advocate.
Lokalpedia | |
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| Born | John Sherwin Felix |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 185 thousand |
| Website | @LocalFoodHeritagePH (Facebook) |
Early life and education
editJohn Sherwin Felix hails from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. As a student, he was involved in activism on issues concerning agriculture and workers' rights.[1] He graduated from the Far Eastern University in 2019 with a degree in mass communications.[2]
Lokalpedia
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Background
editFelix started the online account "The Banana Leaf Kitchen" in 2021 which featured various dishes under Philippine cuisine.[1][3] In 2022, he started Lokalpedia as an offshoot of The Banana Leaf Kitchen. The project, which had presence in Facebook and Instagram, sought to document ingredients used in local cuisine.[1] Felix also previously posted an album entitled "Lokal" on his personal Facebook account around 2021 which featured various ingredients.[4] The project initially started as a hobby, out of Felix's pursuit of rare ingredients for his cooking.[3] His deliberate documentation began when he was age 23 in his hometown of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.[5]
Felix sought to address what he calls "heritage blindness" by promoting awareness for native Philippine ingredients.[6]
Lokalpedia is a portmanteau of "lokal" (Filipino for local), and "encyclopedia".[7]
Content
editA typical Lokalpedia post about an ingredient covers: the scientific name (if applicable), its tastes, where and when it can be found, and its usage.[3] He claims to personally taste every ingredient he posts.[8] He also includes insights about the ingredients from interacting with locals.[7]
Among the cited items that were brought to wider public consciousness by Lokalpedia is the asín tibuok.[3][1] It was among his first posts. Felix claimed that through his contacts, that sales of asin tibuok increase due to the viral post.[6]
Melchor cyberlibel case
editOn September 17, 2025, Felix brought attention to "glaring errors" in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published book Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Cooking Traditions authored by Jam Melchor. Among these errors is that the book claims that the Sardinella tawilis can be commonly found in freshwater lakes and rivers across the Philippines, when the endangered fish is only endemic in Taal Lake. He wrote to the DTI on September 18 but received no response.[9][10][11]
In February 2026, Melchor sued Felix for cyberlibel.[9][10][11] Melchor's suit against Felix then resulted in a public furor, with various culture and science advocates - including broadcast journalist Howie Severino, Gulay Na co-founder Chef Laorence Castillo, and biodiversity advocates Celine and Dennis Murillo - expressing support for Felix reagarding the case.[12]
The complaint was dismissed by the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office on April 24, 2026.[9][10][11]
Continued advocacy work
editFelix has been giving talks in underdeveloped areas to talk about food heritage and has been interacting with academia in schools and universities.[8]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 "What Was Lost in the Garden". Grid. Off The Grid Publishing, Inc. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ "FEU alum faces cyberlibel case over criticisms on gov't cookbook". FEU Advocate. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Meet Lokalpedia, the food heritage advocate documenting overlooked endemic Filipino ingredients". Lifestyle.INQ. November 30, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Medenilla, Vina (July 12, 2022). "A visual archive by a food heritage advocate highlights underrated Philippine ingredients". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Felix, John Sherwin (July 28, 2024). "Lokalpedia believes the Filipino youth has a place in food heritage preservation". Philstar Life. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 Limos, Mario Alvaro (March 14, 2023). "Lokalpedia Fights For the Endangered Ingredients of Filipino Cuisine". Esquire. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 Raymundo, Allan Jr. (June 28, 2024). "Archiving Food Heritage Towards Championing Food Security: A Case Study of Lokalpedia". WIMAYA. 5 (1): 28–39. doi:10.33005/wimaya.v5i01.142. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 Venus, Niña (August 31, 2023). "John Sherwin Felix championing Filipino food heritage". Adobo Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Avila, Maverick (March 14, 2026). "Food heritage advocate sued for exposing errors in DTI-published cookbook". Bulatlat. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Gregorio, Andrea (March 18, 2026). "Heritage advocate: What's libelous about citing book errors?". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Gonzaga, Pie (March 23, 2026). "The Cyberlibel Case Against Lokalpedia Exposes a Rot in Culture". Rolling Stone Philippines. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ "How Criticism Over Book on Filipino Cuisine Sparked a Cyber Libel Complaint". Spot.ph. Retrieved June 13, 2026.