Filipinx Food as Medicine: Self Paced Course
8 Pre-Recorded Modules with Monthly Live Drop-In Sessions
Rolling Applications starting January 13, 2026 through March 31, 2026
Questions? Email lolasapofood@gmail.com
We are never alone, in our struggles, healing, and liberation. The supportive practices of connecting with the Land and the medicines within our lineages are always available to us. Join us as we collectively reclaim our right to heal ourselves.
Through hands on teachings on Filipinx food, common herbs, and rituals of earth reverence, we will explore our ancestral medicine in service of freeing our communities, the land, and future generations. These lessons are appropriate for both beginners and those with years of experience in holistic wellbeing, ancestral healing, and political organizing.
This course is structured through 8 pre-recorded lessons, accompanying handouts, and a variety of resources offered all via Google Classroom. Teachings are facilitated by Kai Delgado Pfeifer, although in future iterations of this course we hope to invite guest facilitators as well.
More details of the course structure and contents can be found below.
While the course is completely self-guided, it also includes monthly live drop-in sessions via Zoom where participants are invited to bring questions and experiences into collective discussion. Live calls, while not required, are a good opportunity to meet other participants and build global relationships.
Filipinx Food as Medicine is a culturally specific learning community that is only open to BIPOC (including mixed race) participants. Uplifting the abundant ancestral connections and histories of solidarity between BIPOC lineages, we welcome this opportunity for cultural exchange and deepening of our shared liberation.
Course Structure & Contents
Pre-recorded Lessons
Each week, you will receive access to a new module/lesson, granted that you complete the required homework assignment for the week. The syllabus for the course is linked for your reference.
For every module, you will receive a combination of video demonstrations, printable handouts, and supplementary resources that touch on the following topic.
Crafting with Weekly Plant Guide: Working hands-on with a Filipinx Ancestral Plant through various types of Filipinx food and herbal medicine recipes. A preview of the plants that we will work with are listed, though are subject to modification. All recipes are primarily plant based with occasional use of seafood based flavorings. Substitutes are always offered in the recipe handouts.
Most recipes are meant to feed several people and generally can be prepared for under $15 USD per lesson unless there are special higher-cost ingredients involved (example/ Rum for Hibiscus syrup).
In addition to the weekly plant & body centered lessons, each week you will receive the following teachings on a rotating schedule.
Nurturing the Elements in our Bodies & Spirits: A mix of guided practice & presentation. Topics include Altar building, Plant meditations, Body energetics systems, and Eating with the Seasons.
Food Justice Political Education: 4 lectures contextualizing our journey in a decolonized Filipinx history of agriculture, food/medicine traditions, spirituality, and agrarian liberation movements. The lectures cover the following historical periods of the Philippines: pre-colonial, Spanish occupation, American occupation, and modern neo-colonial period.
Art & Story Based Integration: A range of visual and writing activities to integrate our knowledge and experiences.
Google Classroom & Time Comittment for Self Paced Learning
Google Classroom: will serve as the platform for all lessons, logistical communication, and questions to the facilitator/classmates. If you do not already have one, you will need to create a Google account in order to access this platform. Google classroom comments will only be available until the end of June 2026 to interact with your fellow cohort & facilitator. Materials, however, will remain accessible until end of 2026.
Committment: Participants should devote around 3 hours per module to this course. The syllabus for the course is linked for your reference and includes estimated time needed for each component.
Pacing: Please take a minimum of 7 days between each module so you can integrate the lessons more slowly. You may pace yourself between modules according to your needs, with awareness that all modules must be completed by the end of June 2026. In order to receive access to each next lesson, you will be required to submit documentation of either your plant meditation or arts activity.
Questions to the facilitator & group: Participants are highly encouraged to use the comments function of Google Classroom to exchange questions and experiences directly pertaining to the module. Kai will check the Google classroom 2x/week to answer questions as they come up.
Copyrights: All learning materials shared are for your reference only. If you wish to cite any teaching materials, we request that you email with your intentions for using the materials so that we can decide if it is appropriate.
Live Drop-In Sessions
Structure: This course offers optional monthly, 60-90 minute long, Zoom drop-in sessions from February 2026 through June 2026. These sessions will be loosely structured aside from a guided meditation offered at the start of the calls. The space will be guided by the questions and experiences that participants share.
Participants will also be meeting others at varying points in their 8 week learning cycles. While questions and experiences shared by others may relate to topics that you have already or have not yet completed, we harness this opportunity for expansive discussions that will be supportive at any stage of your course completion.
Building with classmates: While the composition of who attends each live session will vary, there will be breakout rooms that are organized primarily by geographical groupings. This structure has often allowed for meaningful relationships and organizing to organically emerge in local areas.
Participants who would like to connect further outside of class are welcome to do, as long as there is mutual consent between those involved. While it’s beyond the scope of this course to moderate a group chat on Whatsapp or Signal, the Google Classroom comments section is a great option for bringing in questions and reflections directly related to course materials.
Schedule of calls:
Sunday February 1 — 7 PM EST
Sunday March 8 — 7 PM EST
Sunday April 5 — 7 PM EST
Call times in May and June are TBA, but will likely take place on the 1st or 2nd Sunday of each month at 12pm EST.
Sliding Scale Pricing, Payment Plans, and Scholarships
As part of its quest to be accessible for our communities, Filipinx Food as Medicine offers its classes on a sliding scale basis. While we will not require proof of income when registering, we move with deep trust that our community will make fair offerings that equate to living-wage compensation for the organizers of this learning space.
We also offer payment plans and scholarship spaces to invite as many folks into these learnings as possible. Please refer to this page to help you determine what is an equitable sliding scale donation for your particular situation.
Payment plans are available under the following guidelines:
A 50% deposit of your chosen sliding scale must be made via Venmo, Paypal, or Zelle upon acceptance to the course.
Along with your deposit, we will set up scheduled automatic payments via Venmo, Paypal, or Zelle for the remainder of your balance.
When we agree to a payment plan via email, we can discuss the intervals of your remaining payments (weekly, biweekly, or monthly).
The balance of your sliding scale offering must be received in full within 4 weeks of your registration date.
Scholarships: All Scholarships for this course have been distributed — please sign up for newsletter below for future offerings with scholarship spaces.
Sliding Scale Explanation:
Solidarity Offering - This scale represents around 70% of the true program cost, and reserved for folks with low expendable income. This can be understood as 70% of a living wage.
$350 USD
Equity Offering - This scale reflects the true/fair program cost. This can be understood as a living wage compensation for facilitators in an area with a low cost of living.
$500 USD
Benefactor Offering - This scale reflects full cost for your self & contribution on behalf of another participant. This can be understood a living wage for facilitators in an average American city.
$650 USD