This story has also been published by ABS-CBN.com.
For the longest time, tea occupied a strange place in Filipino culture. Unlike in other parts of Asia, where tea became deeply tied to everyday ritual, tea here was often associated with practicality first. Salabat was brought out when somebody had a sore throat. Herbal infusions sat beside medicine cabinets more than dining tables. Even ordinary tea bags usually ended up in the house because someone briefly considered replacing coffee, only to be brewed into homemade iced tea a few days later.
Tea was familiar but rarely romanticized.
Which is probably why it feels a little surprising seeing tea now discussed with the same seriousness once reserved mostly for wine or specialty coffee. Origins matter. Preparation matters. Even aroma has become part of the conversation.
But maybe tea was always like that. Most of us just never paid attention.
This May, CHAGEE Philippines is leaning into that curiosity for International Tea Day with a campaign centered on tea culture, craftsmanship, and the stories attached to every cup.
Part of the rollout is the launch of the BO·YA Jasmine Tieguanyin Tea series, which combines jasmine with Tieguanyin oolong sourced from Southern Fujian in China. The drink opens with soft floral notes before the orchid-like character of the oolong becomes more noticeable after a few sips.
Still, what makes the release interesting is not necessarily the drink itself, but the way CHAGEE frames tea as something worth understanding more deeply, beyond simply drinking it every day.
The BO·YA name comes from an old Chinese story about a musician named Boya and a woodcutter named Ziqi, whose friendship eventually came to symbolize being deeply understood by another person. It is a sentimental premise, but one that feels strangely fitting for tea, a drink that has always existed quietly in the background of people’s lives.
Many Filipinos grow up around tea without ever fully noticing it. It appears in moments of recovery, in conversations between older relatives, in kitchens where somebody is trying to make use of whatever is already in the pantry. Not dramatic enough to become a centerpiece, but familiar enough to remain attached to memory.
That quiet familiarity seems to be what CHAGEE is trying to revisit this season.
Alongside the new drinks, CHAGEE is also building the campaign around the experience of tea-making itself through a series of workshops that treat tea less like a trendy beverage and more like a craft people can slowly learn to appreciate.
The first session was held earlier this month for invited guests, while public workshops are scheduled for SM North EDSA on May 21 and Robinsons Galleria on June 6. Rather than focusing purely on tasting, the sessions are designed to introduce participants to the aromas, preparation, and cultural stories that shape a good cup of tea.
CHAGEE is also marking International Tea Day itself through a daily tea break from May 18 to 21, where the first 100 customers visiting stores at 3 p.m. can receive a complimentary Regular BO·YA Jasmine Tieguanyin Milk Tea.
The campaign also includes a small collection of tea-inspired merchandise for the season, including scented charms, keychains, and tumblers designed around the imagery and natural elements tied to CHAGEE’s teas. A separate publication exploring tea culture and heritage is also set to arrive in select stores beginning May 21.
For years, coffee dominated conversations around drinking culture among younger Filipinos. Coffee shops became workspaces, social spaces, and even small status symbols. Tea, meanwhile, often stayed in the background, associated more with routine than discovery.
Now, tea seems to be entering a different phase locally. Less novelty-driven. Less performative. Something people are beginning to appreciate for the slower pace surrounding it.
Maybe that is why International Tea Day suddenly feels more relevant now than it once did. Not because tea became new, but because people are finally paying closer attention to something that has quietly been part of everyday life all along.