Facebook has become a central public space where everyday culture is circulated, debated, and remembered. More than a platform for sharing photos, Facebook's pages, algorithmic feeds, reels, sharing tools, and comment threads shape what cultural content becomes visible and meaningful. This study examines how social media mediates cultural heritage through Facebook discourses on the Filipino dish sisig and its many contemporary interpretations. It asks how platform dynamics (1) propagate cultural knowledge, (2) build appreciation and pride that support cultural transmission, and (3) enable evolving meanings through ongoing reinterpretations and discourses. The study combines content analysis of public Facebook posts with discourse analysis of comment threads. Posts sampled from public pages are categorized into those that frame sisig as "authentic" and those that present modern or regional variants. Posts are coded for how they circulate knowledge (e.g., technique, ingredients, place-linking) and for propagation cues (e.g., tags, sharing prompts, location references). Comment threads are analyzed to trace how users collectively construct meaning through appreciation, pride narratives, correction, gatekeeping, or openness to variation, and how these interactions reinforce or challenge dominant ideas of "authenticity" and "sisig". The paper argues that Facebook can support heritage preservation as a participatory archive that stores and redistributes culinary knowledge while cultivating appreciation and pride. It also accelerates cultural evolution by rewarding viral formats and amplifying competing interpretations, reshaping sisig's meaning and significance. Finally, it considers how these platform-driven processes may support community development by strengthening local businesses, stimulating heritage-based tourism, and reinforcing identity narratives.

Authors:
John Edward Alfonso, National University Philippines, Philippines
Rachelle Maglalang, National University Philippines, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Mr. John Edward E. Alfonso is currently an Associate Professor in National University Clark, Philippines. His research interests coincides within the intersection of the fields of History, Culture, Food Studies, and Sustainable Development.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-edward-alfonso-6506a3287/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

Bookmark