Michelin lands in Philippines

The Philippine Embassy in Singapore said on April 22 that Michelin’s 2026 guide for Manila and its surrounding areas, plus a Cebu pocket guidebook, is now being promoted as part of the country’s food push. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) Michelin had already unveiled its first Philippines selection on Oct. 30, 2025, at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Newport World Resorts. The company said the 2026 edition covered 108 establishments: one with two stars, eight with one star, 25 Bib Gourmand picks, and 74 Michelin Selected restaurants. (michelin.com) Michelin’s own guide pages describe this as its first-ever restaurant selection for the Philippines, centered on Manila and nearby areas as well as Cebu. The official restaurant list says the 2026 lineup includes starred, Bib Gourmand, and Selected addresses across those destinations. (guide.michelin.com) The embassy tied the latest announcement to Filipino Food Month, known locally as Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino, which is observed each April. In its April 22 statement, it called the guidebook launch “a major milestone” for the Philippine culinary sector and said the publication showcases the country’s “rich and evolving gastronomic landscape.” (philippine-embassy.org.sg) Michelin’s expansion in the Philippines fits a wider rollout beyond its older strongholds in Europe and a handful of U.S. cities. On April 7, Michelin announced a new American Great Lakes edition covering Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh, with the first selection due in 2027. (guide.michelin.com) That expansion has also produced uneven local reactions. Cincinnati.com reported on April 23 that Cincinnati was not included in the new Great Lakes edition, even as nearby Midwestern cities made the list. (cincinnati.com) For the Philippines, the practical change is that Michelin is no longer treating the country as a future prospect. It already has a published 2026 selection, a full restaurant list on Michelin’s site, and an embassy-backed promotional push timed to April’s food calendar. (guide.michelin.com; philippine-embassy.org.sg) The next test is what Michelin does after its debut year: whether Manila, its surrounding dining hubs, and Cebu gain more starred restaurants when the guide is updated again. For now, the country has moved from lobbying for recognition to having its first Michelin map in print and online. (michelin.com; guide.michelin.com)