Yes, we do have Starbucks in Manila. No, we do not have the Flat White.

When two or more travelers meet, "where are you from?" inevitably gets asked. I am from the Philippines. And I spend most of my time in Manila. Some people I've met traveling are fairly young (under 30) and have not had the opportunity to travel to my country. They know of the country mostly from the internet and TV or from Filipino migrants to their country. A good number expressed interest in one day traveling to the Philippines. They often ask practical questions related to traveling here and while I have often tried to give helpful answers, I have also found myself wishing for a do-over.

One such do-over involves the coffee chain Starbucks.

In Bangkok, I met a self-described coffee snob who went to uni in Washington State. For our purposes now, let's call him Adam. On long trips abroad, Adam would seek refuge in a Starbucks whenever he felt lonely or homesick which he himself found funny because he did not really go to Starbucks back home. For added cheekiness, he was considering starting his collection of Starbucks city mugs which would not include the city of Seattle. 

Adam: Do you have Starbucks there?
Me:      Yeah. (Laconic + Precise. Perfect)
Adam: Lots?
Me:      Yeah. (And again.)
Adam: Cool.

At another Starbucks in New Zealand, while getting a Flat White, a barista whom we'll call Bryan, was trying to sell me breakfast. 

Bryan: What do they sell at the Starbucks there?

Me:      Coffee. 

Bryan: I would not have guessed. *rolls eyes* Like for breakfast. I thought Filipinos were big eaters.

Me:     Sandwiches. Waffles. A lot of the same pastries here. Nothing very Filipino… No flat whites either.

So, yes. We do have Starbucks in the Philippines and, now, two Reserve branches even. The selection is similar to pretty much every other Starbucks elsewhere but unlike in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, they don't make the Flat White. A lot of branches open very early and close very late. A handful are even open 24 hours. And yeah, they sell merchandise, including those city mugs. Wi-Fi isn't free unlike at other coffee chains.

A tall cup of Zambia Peaberry Terranova and an apple cinnamon scone cost a total of less than six US dollars in the Philippines.

By international Starbucks standards, the coffee and food here are cheap. A tall cup of brewed coffee or caffe misto is only ₱100 (US$ 2.28, € 1.68) and a fist-sized scone is ₱90 (US$ 2.05, € 1.51). Even the Reserve ones are cheaper. The Finca Nuevo Mexico starts at only ₱140 (US$ 3.20, € 2.35) while the Zambia Peaberry Terranova Estate starts at only ₱150 (US$ 3.42, € 2.51). (Disclaimer: US dollar and Euro equivalents are according to Google, which does not guarantee the accuracy of the conversion.) So the sweet tooth's breakfast above which I actually had late one afternoon costs ₱240 (US$ 5.48, € 4.02). 

For travelers wanting to stretch their budget, the Philippines is a pretty awesome place to visit. You can definitely carbo-load and caffeinate here without blowing your budget.