Start from the one thing you know
You do not need to know the person. You need one fact about them. What they drink in the afternoon. Whether their desk has a plant. If they walk to work. Which team they are on. Each fact below opens a short list that will land, and all of it sits under ₱500 or $20 at ordinary shops in either country.
They drink coffee or tea
- A 250g bag of beans from a local roaster, whole bean if you have seen a grinder on their desk, ground if not. ₱350 to ₱500 in Manila, $12 to $18 in the US.
- A reusable cup that fits the kiosk's sizes, in a plain colour. Around ₱400, around $15.
- A tin of loose-leaf tea with a small infuser, if they have a kettle and not a machine. ₱300 to ₱450, $10 to $16.
Their desk is their place
- A small succulent in a pot that is not plastic. ₱150 to ₱300, $8 to $15. The pot is the gift.
- A good pen and a notebook with paper they would not buy themselves. ₱400 for the pair, $18 for the pair.
- A desk mat in a colour that matches something they already own. ₱450, $16.
They commute, walk or run
- A pair of merino or bamboo socks. Nobody buys these for themselves and everyone keeps them. ₱350, $14.
- A compact umbrella that actually survives wind. ₱450, $18.
- A rechargeable bike or bag light, if you have seen a bike or a backpack with a clip. ₱400, $15.
They eat at their desk
- A jar of chilli oil or a hot sauce from a maker, not a supermarket. ₱250 to ₱450, $9 to $16.
- A box of the good biscuits, the ones from the bakery and not the tin. ₱300, $12.
- A set of proper chopsticks or a small cutlery roll for someone who brings lunch. ₱350, $14.
You know nothing at all
Then buy consumable and buy local. A bar of soap from a maker, a candle that smells of something specific rather than "vanilla", a bag of mangoes or a box of pastries on the morning of the party. Consumables cannot be the wrong size, do not need to match anything, and disappear if they miss. Spend the rest of the budget on a card with two sentences in it that could only have been written for this person. The card is the part they keep.
One rule across all of this. Do not buy a mug. Every office has a cupboard of mugs from past exchanges, and yours will join it by January.