EXCLUSIVE: Lokalpedia founder won’t pursue legal action vs. DTI after cyber libel case dismissal

“As of now, wala pa rin reply ‘yong kabilang panig. But I don’t mind naman na. I actually want to move on, it’s been quite stressful sa akin,” he told radar on the sidelines of a National Museum forum on Monday, May 25.

Amid calls from supporters for him to pursue malicious prosecution—and seek damages—Felix said, “Wala na po siya sa plan ko.”

“It’s for us to move forward,” he added. “If they want to rectify the errors, gawin nila. Ako, I will just continue my documentary work on the ground.”

Founded in 2022, Lokalpedia is an online archive of native Philippine ingredients.

The book that started the issue

In April 2025, the DTI published the book “Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Food Tradition,” written by chef Jam Melchor for Filipino Food Month.

When Felix got his copy in September, he identified several factual errors. To name a few, batwan is classified as a legume (instead of fruit); the Taal Lake-endemic tawilis is found in other lakes and rivers; peanut is what makes kare-kare yellowish-orange (instead of atsuete); and batil patung uses pork or chicken (instead of carabeef or beef), as well as tomatoes (it doesn’t).

He later published his fact-checks on Lokalpedia—and sought clarification from Melchor, the DTI, and other agencies involved in the project. Before that, he reached out privately, but received no response.

In February 2026, Melchor filed 14 counts of cyber libel against Felix, alleging that his posts were “malicious” and has led to personal attacks.

The case was met with public outrage.

‘Civil’

Felix said his interactions with Melchor since then have remained “informal” and “civil.”

“I think, low-key, gusto na naming matapos itong issue na ito,” he said. “But from the DTI, wala pa talaga silang any comment, until now.”

Felix said he’s now focused on continuing his work documenting Filipino food heritage.

“Now, I’m actually peaceful,” he said, adding that these days, he’s “quite busy with all these public engagements.”

Still, Felix framed the episode as part of a broader need to strengthen the documentation of Filipino culinary heritage.

“Kailangan pa natin ng maraming storytellers,” he said. “Kailangan pa natin ng maraming watchdog.”