The Canadian province of Quebec, the country' largest province by area, is known as the cradle of French civilization in North America. In fact, French is its official language. It is also where the city of Montreal is located, home of the 1976 Summer Olympics which produced new world records from sports superstars like decathlete Bruce Jenner of the U.S. (now known as Caitlyn Jenner), gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania, and gold medals for U.S. boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and Leon Spinks who later became well-known professional boxing champions.

But foreign-sounding to Filipinos as this may appear, what more and more people are getting to know now is that Quebec is home to the fifth largest Filipino population in Canada which currently stands at over 42,000 or 4 percent of the total number of Filipinos in the country.

This is why on August 9, ABS-CBN' TFC myREMIT, the Filipino remittance company that offers a low flat fee for remittances regardless of amount sent, is launching its service in Quebec. It has tapped as agents Marche Filipino Sari-Sari Store located at 6055 Victoria Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3W2S1 Canada with tel. no. 514-735-8188 and Fiesta NA Group at 4755 Van Horne Avenue, Suite 102, Montreal, Quebec H3W1H8 Canada with tel. no. 514-344-0656.

As part of the launch, TFC myREMIT will hold an activity-filled Kapamilya Experience with myREMIT featuring world-class Filipino singing star Jed Madela on August 9, Sunday, at 6pm, at the Saint-Kevin Parish Hall, 5600 Chemin de la Cote-des-Neiges, Montreal, QC H3T 1Z1.

Over the last 10 years, various Filipino variety stores and establishments have risen in Quebec, especially in the Montreal area, said Raymund Abog, ABS-CBN global head of remittance. Filipino associations in Montreal and suburbs are among the oldest ethnic associations there. The fast-growing Filipino market is served by multiple Filipino stores and restaurants along the Van Horne area. There are a lot of Filipino caregivers and healthcare workers there. You'll also notice that there is a more regular occurence of Filipino entertainment concerts and shows in Quebec because of the demand. But at the same time, majority of Filipinos in Quebec are fluent or at least conversant in French, proving that our countrymen here are able to adjust well to the larger society that they're in, but at the same time remain connected to their heritage and homeland.

Remittance is as vibrant as the Filipino community in Quebec, particularly in Montreal, said Olivia De Jesus, managing director of ABS-CBN North America. With TFC' mission of being in the service of the Filipino wherever he or she may be, it makes sense for TFC myREMIT to be actively present in this province. Canada as a whole is a rapidly growing market for Filipinos, both for overseas contract workers and migrants. As their population grows, so does their need for products and services that enable them to help their families back in the homeland or empower them to have a strong, united voice in the cultural sea of diversity in Canada.

Since its inception in 2000, TFC myREMIT has established its presence overseas in the U.S., Canada, and United Kingdom to serve the remittance needs of overseas Filipinos. But how does the service differ from other remittance companies?

TFC myREMIT is TFC' response to the needs of overseas Filipino for fast, secure and accurate handling of their hard-earned money intended for families and loved ones in the Philippines, said Abog. We deliver overseas remittances to Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao through cash pick-up, door-to-door, credit-to-bank, and soon, cash cards. Our 'One Reference' cash pick-up is now far-reaching with thousands of participating outlets nationwide in the Philippines. Our credit-to-bank remittances are done in real time, meaning it' almost instantaneous. TFC myREMIT also assures remitters of highly competitive exchange rates and service fees. A unique service it also offers is the e-mail notification a remitter gets when his/her beneficiary receives the money.

Abog adds, True to being a Kapamilya, TFC myREMIT provides total care to the money that hardworking Filipinos remit. TFC has been a trusted brand for over 20 years and with myREMIT being a TFC Kapamilya service, we do our best to live up to that trust for the brand.