Regina Troy Barrios

Michelin Guide To Stay In The Philippines Until At Least 2028, DOT Confirms 

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The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/michelinguide/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MICHELIN Guide</a> is staying in the Philippines.In a significant vote of confidence for Philippine gastronomy, <a href="https://www.tourism.gov.ph" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay</a> confirmed that the Department of Tourism has signed an agreement extending its partnership with the MICHELIN Guide for at least two more years, with the possibility of a third.&quot;I just signed the document, the contract, to extend it to two more years, even three,&quot; Angara-Mathay said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783134075950fn.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>The revelation came during an interview with Philip Cu-Unjieng on The Sit Down, Manila Bulletin&#x27;s interview podcast, where the tourism chief outlined her vision of using food as one of the country&#x27;s strongest tourism drivers.The revelation came during an interview with veteran journalist Philip Cu-Unjieng on The Sit Down, Manila Bulletin&#x27;s interview podcast, where the tourism chief outlined her vision of using food as one of the country&#x27;s strongest tourism drivers.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783134265720MGC PH 26 - Group Picture4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><h3>MICHELIN&#x27;s Historic Philippine Debut</h3>The extension comes less than a year after MICHELIN launched its first-ever Philippine guide.Unveiled in 2025 as the MICHELIN Guide Manila and Environs &amp; Cebu 2026, the inaugural edition marked the Philippines&#x27; long-awaited entry into MICHELIN&#x27;s global restaurant network after years of speculation.Inspectors evaluated restaurants across Metro Manila, its surrounding areas, and Cebu, ultimately recognizing 108 establishments:<a href="https://metro.style/food/2025/10/30/helm-gets-two-michelin-stars-a-first-for-the-ph-1910" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Helm, led by Chef Josh Boutwood</a>, became the country&#x27;s first—and so far only—restaurant to earn Two MICHELIN Stars.Eight restaurants received One MICHELIN Star, while the Bib Gourmand and Selected lists reflected the breadth of Philippine dining, celebrating everything from refined tasting-menu destinations to neighborhood favorites and regional standouts.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783134541603MICHELIN Guide Manila and Environs &amp; Cebu 2026.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>The guide also presented four Special Awards: Gallery by Chele received the MICHELIN Green Star for sustainability; Erin Recto of Hapag won the Service Award; Don Baldosano of Linamnam received the Young Chef Award; and Benjamin Leal of Uma Nota earned the Exceptional Cocktails Award.For Filipino chefs, the launch represented a milestone decades in the making. While neighboring destinations such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo had long enjoyed MICHELIN recognition, Philippine restaurants had remained outside the guide until 2025.<h3>Beyond MICHELIN Stars</h3>For Angara-Mathay, however, MICHELIN is only one part of a much larger strategy.&quot;We know that we have one two-MICHELIN-star restaurant, eight one-star restaurants and several other recognized establishments,&quot; she said. &quot;These restaurants and establishments have been gaining a lot of customers. But we need to push it out. We need to push the message outside.&quot;Her vision extends beyond fine dining to the broader story of Filipino cuisine.Rather than promoting only Manila&#x27;s award-winning restaurants, she wants to showcase the country&#x27;s diverse regional food cultures—from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao—as a defining tourism asset.That effort will also involve diplomacy.The tourism chief revealed that the DOT is working with business leader Doris Magsaysay Ho to introduce Filipino cuisine through Philippine embassies around the world.She recalled attending a lunch hosted by Magsaysay Ho for visiting Japanese guests, describing the menu as &quot;Filipino with a twist.&quot;&quot;People don&#x27;t like fusion, but we all loved it,&quot; Angara-Mathay said. &quot;The Japanese guests loved it.&quot;The initiative includes distributing Filipino culinary books to Philippine embassies, promoting the use of local ingredients, and encouraging diplomatic missions to host food-centered events that introduce international audiences to Philippine cuisine.&quot;We&#x27;re going to push food preparation, sourcing local ingredients, and then holding diplomatic events in the chancelleries, so that we push, through the diplomatic channel, what Filipino food is all about,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#x27;m quite excited about that.&quot;<h3>What the extension means</h3>While Angara-Mathay confirmed MICHELIN&#x27;s continued presence, she did not say whether future editions of the guide will expand beyond its original coverage of Manila and Environs and Cebu.That question is likely to become one of the biggest storylines for Philippine dining over the next few years.Restaurants in Pampanga, Iloilo, Bacolod, Bohol, Davao, Siargao and other emerging culinary destinations have increasingly attracted both local and international attention, prompting industry observers to speculate whether MICHELIN&#x27;s geographic footprint could eventually grow.For now, the extension guarantees something equally significant: MICHELIN inspectors will keep returning to the Philippines.That means restaurants will once again compete to earn—or retain—their stars, Bib Gourmand distinctions and MICHELIN recommendations. More importantly, it signals continued international attention on Filipino cuisine at a time when the country is working to position itself as one of Asia&#x27;s next great gastronomic destinations.The MICHELIN Guide&#x27;s arrival was widely seen as a watershed moment for Philippine dining. Its extension suggests that, for MICHELIN and for the Philippine government, that story is only just beginning.

The Department of Tourism has confirmed that the Michelin Guide will remain in the Philippines until at least 2028, extending its landmark partnership as the country strengthens its bid to become one of Asia's leading culinary destinations.

The Department of Tourism has confirmed that the Michelin Guide will remain in the Philippines until at least 2028, extending its landmark partnership as the country strengthens its bid to become one of Asia's leading culinary destinations.

MICHELIN Guide to Stay In The Philippines Until At Least 2028 As DOT Extends Partnership

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MICHELIN Guide to Stay In The Philippines Until At Least 2028 As DOT Extends Partnership

Troy Barrios

Published July 03, 2026 11:15 AM PHT

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Updated July 04, 2026 11:15 AM PHT

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michelin guide philippines

dita angara-mathay

department of tourism

food tourism

philippine restaurants

michelin stars

fine dining

filipino cuisine

manila restaurants

cebu restaurants

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