Michelin in Manila, Cebu

Singapore’s Philippine Embassy said on April 22 it launched a Michelin pocket guidebook for Manila, its surrounding areas, and Cebu. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) The embassy tied the release to Filipino Food Month, or *Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino*, which is observed every April under Presidential Proclamation No. 469. It described the book as a companion to Michelin’s digital guide for travelers and food enthusiasts. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) This is not a new restaurant ranking announcement. Michelin had already unveiled its first Philippines selection on October 30, 2025, at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Newport World Resorts. (michelin.com) That inaugural 2026 selection covered 108 establishments: 1 two-star restaurant, 8 one-star restaurants, 25 Bib Gourmand picks, 74 Michelin Selected restaurants, and 1 Green Star recipient. Michelin said 90 of those restaurants were in Manila and its environs, and 18 were in Cebu. (michelin.com) A Michelin guide is a restaurant inspection list, not a tourism brochure, but the embassy is using the new pocket book as a tourism tool. Its release packages Michelin’s restaurant picks into a printed guide aimed at people planning food trips across Philippine destinations. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) The embassy said the launch supports “cultural diplomacy and tourism promotion,” framing Philippine food as part of the country’s international pitch. Michelin, in its October release, said the edition was meant to elevate the Philippines’ place on the global culinary map. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) (michelin.com) Filipino Food Month gives that push a ready-made calendar hook. Senator Loren Legarda said on April 8 that this year’s theme is “Connected by Taste: Filipino Food in the Flavors of ASEAN,” linking cuisine to regional exchange during the Philippines’ Association of Southeast Asian Nations hosting year. (tribune.net.ph) Legarda also used the Michelin debut to argue for a broader food policy agenda, including Senate Bill No. 822, the proposed Philippine Culinary Heritage Act. The bill would create a Committee on Philippine Gastronomy and Culinary Heritage under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (tribune.net.ph) For diners, the practical change is simple: Michelin’s first Philippines list now has a print companion focused on Manila and Cebu. For tourism officials, the message is just as direct: a restaurant guide that started as an inspection list is now being used as a national showcase. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) (michelin.com)