≡-Philippines Boosts Global Gastronomy With Michelin Guide And Culinary Tourism – Viral of Today

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Saturday, July 12, 2025The Department of Tourism (DOT) has been leading the charge to promote the Philippines’ gastronomic heritage to the global scene, putting the country on the map as a premier gastronomic destination. As the long-awaited arrival of the Michelin Guide makes its way to the country in 2026 featuring Manila and Cebu, the country prepares to gain worldwide recognition for its rich and diverse gastronomic identity. Coming in alongside the arrival of the Michelin Guide are a lineup of scheduled tourism plans putting Filipino gastronomy center-stage among world tourism, unleashing pride, sustainability, and community development.The Much-Anticipated Launch by Michelin Guide in the PhilippinesThe Michelin Guide, one of the world’s leading authorities on gastronomic guides, will cover Manila and Cebu in its 2026 guide, marking a milestone moment for the country’s gastronomy scene. The Michelin guides have been visiting the diverse food scenes within Metro Manila and Cebu, making sure that the very best that cities have to offer are found. The Guide will also spotlight neighboring territories, especially Pampanga, Tagaytay, and Cavite, which are famous for their gastronomic heritages.DOT Sec Cristina Pala-ing Frasco was over the moon, saying, “Gastronomy is included in our national tourism plan. Filipino food is the expression of our identity, culture, and lifestyle. North to south, every region has its own food story to share.” The arrival of the Michelin Guide is not just about global recognition; the country is flagging its desire to become sustainably inclined and to preserve food culture while positioning the nation as a leading food tourism hub.The Role of Gastronomy within the Philippine National Plan on Tourism DevelopmentThe National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, which was ratified on the first days of the Marcos presidency, prioritizes gastronomy promotion as one among the fundamental pillars that sustain the country’s tourism development. The DOT aims to harness the promise of Filipino food as a tool of inclusive tourism. Adopting gastronomy to the tourism plan, the department aims to invigorate economic opportunities within the local communities, upgrade local businesses, and ensure good actions that promote environmental protection.Gastronomy is not only about cuisine, it’s about the sharing of stories and culture that build the dishes and ingredients that embody the Philippines. The focus on food tourism by the DOT among its major tourism products highlights its importance as a way to bind tourists to the cultural core of the Philippines, whereby every region has its own distinct gastronomic identity.UNESCO Acclaim and World Awards to Filipino Food CitiesSide by side with the Michelin Guide, there has been increasing global recognition to Philippine food cities. Iloilo City was declared a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2023, which was a milestone to advance Philippine traditional food cultures globally. Iloilo’s declaration as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy is an appreciation to its vibrant food culture, which owes much to its rich culture and history.Moreover, Angeles City in Pampanga won the highly sought-after crown of Asia’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination 2024 from the World Culinary Awards, and thus places the region on the global gastronomic atlas yet again. Bacolod City, which is not just a Slow Food International Hub Asia Pacific, will, come October 2025, host Terra Madre Asia Pacific and showcase traditional food cultures and responsible foodways. These awards not only increase the global reputation of these cities, but they categorize the country as a gastronomy powerhouse from Southeast Asia and from even wider spheres.The forum was staged in Cebu, Philippines, in June 2024 and gathered over 600 delegates from more that 40 countries. The forum highlighted gastronomy tourism as a means to sustainable community development and revealed means by which food tourism can generate economic opportunities while ensuring the preservation of local food cultures. Filipino chefs demonstrated their cooking techniques and forums witnessed delegates exchange discourse that led to adopting the Cebu Call to Action on Gastronomy Tourism, an framework supporting further investment in food tourism to empower communities and ensure long-term sustainability.Secretary Frasco emphasized that not just was there a forum showcasing Filipino cuisine, there was also building global collaboration to advance sustainible food production and consumption. “This experience sets the country up to take leadership on how gastronomy tourism drives sustainable economic growth,” she said.To further enhance Filipino food culture, the DOT rolled out the “Philippine Eatsperience” program. The one-year-long celebration has been underway since March within Intramuros and Rizal Park, where more than 45 local food vendors presented regional delicacies and native Filipino dishes. The festival has proven to be a hit among locals and tourists, alike, and provides an original Filipino food experience due to its offerings, such as lechon, adobo, sinigang, and many others.The Philippine Eatsperience has been a big draw, particularly on weekends and special holidays, offering the perfect venue where one tries Filipino food culture while supporting local businesses. The initiative goes a long way towards supporting the DOT’s efforts to put food center stage in tourism, giving tourists and natives a chance to taste local flavors and discover new ones to adore.Strategic Plan on Food and Gastronomy TourismThe Strategic Framework and Roadmap on Food and Gastronomy Tourism was rolled out by the DOT on 28 May 2025 and acts as a general guide to tourism stakeholders on how to create and promote Filipino food tourism. The framework encourages the rediscovery of local markets, documentation on unique regional delicacies, and the creation of specially designed tour circuits on the country’s best food destinations. The conversion of the country’s traditional public markets into vibrant tourism destinations is helping to create sustainable sources of income among local communities and empowering local food producers.Kulinarya: A Guide to Philippine CuisineTo further enrich Filipino kitchen culture, the DOT further collaborated with famous Filipino chefs and food book authors to publish the third edition of Kulinarya: A Guide to Philippine Cuisine in June 2025. First published in 2008, Kulinarya provides an inside perspective on the different kitchen cultures within the country, and includes pieces by among the country’s most famous chefs. The new version has new recipes and an inside perspective on present-day Filipino cuisine and is a superb reference on Philippine cuisine not just for consumers back home, but overseas too.Conclusion: An International Food Destination in the Making The nation is fast becoming a global gastronomic hub, and efforts by the DOT to advance Filipino cuisine are gaining much traction. The 2026 launch by the Michelin Guide, UNESCO recognition, and increasing programs on culinary tourism are making the nation a destination to watch by those who love to eat.The government efforts to further gastronomy tourism are resulting in sustained economic growth, national pride, and ensuring that Filipino food culture takes center stage on the global scene. As the nation continues to develop further to become a food powerhouse, gastronomy tourism will further become one major pillar of its entire tourism strategy. Being a nation that boasts so much food culture, differences in regional taste, and sustainability, the Philippines not only sustain its gastronomy culture, but brings this to the international scene, as well.Tags: Bacolod, Cavite, cebu, cultural tourism, department of tourism, Filipino chefs, Filipino cuisine, iloilo, Manila, Negros Occidental, Pampanga, Philippines, southeast asia, Tagaytay

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