The 3rd Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada (FRMC), a month-long event to promote and mainstream Filipino cuisine and support Filipino-owned restaurants across Canada, has been launched.
During the event held at the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary on 18 March 2024 and attended by 120 guests, Consul General Zaldy Patron announced that 40 restaurants in eight provinces and 18 cities in Canada would participate in Year 3 of the FRMC this April 2024. One more restaurant has joined the FRMC since its launching.
“The 3rd FRMC will build on the positive outcome of the first two years of the FRMC in 2022 and 2023, which generated a total of 120 million total media impressions and CAD7.0 million in total media ad value for the FRMC,” Consul General Patron said.
“These numbers translated into increased public awareness for the Filipino cuisine and free publicity for the FRMC participating restaurants across Canada, which we hope to sustain in Year 3 of the FRMC,” he added.
In her video message for the event, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita S. Austria highlighted the significance of this year’s FRMC, as it will take place during the 75th year of the Philippines-Canada diplomatic relations and the Filipino Food Month in the Philippines.
“I encourage all of you to visit the FRMC participating restaurants this April 2024 and be ready to fall in love with our food, our people, and our country,” remarked Ambassador Austria.
For her part, Tourism Director Soleil Tropicales explained to the audience the new “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign of the Department of Tourism.
At least 252 national and local prizes await the lucky diners ordering FRMC dishes at the 41 participating restaurants this year.
The 42 national prizes include four (4) domestic round-trip tickets in the Philippines courtesy of the Philippine Airlines and two (2) land travel packages from Rajah Tours Philippines.
A total of nine (9) hotels in the Philippines, owned by Megaworld International, Vista Land, Discovery Hospitality, and Chroma Hospitality, are giving away certificates for 3D/2N hotel accommodations (except for one offering 2D/1N accommodation) in their respective properties.
Three (3) travel agencies based in Alberta, Canada, namely FlyFriendly Travel & Tours of Edmonton, Alexis International Travel of Red Deer, and Love Canada Travel and Tours of Calgary, will give travel vouchers worth CAD500 each.
Seafood City of Calgary and Smiles Mobile Remittance of Red Deer, on the other hand, are offering a total of 20 gift cards amounting to CAD100 each.
In addition, the 41 participating restaurants will raffle a total of 190 dining vouchers as local prizes. LBC Calgary will give 20 gift certificates for the shipment of balikbayan boxes and couriers for raffle winners from Alberta.
During the launch event, the guests were treated to Filipino dishes and drinks generously provided by Amihan Bakeshop + Grill and Pacific Hut Restaurant, two of the FRMC participating restaurants, and Seafood City, a FRMC sponsor.
Ms. Jacquiee Torreon serenaded the guests with Filipino songs.
To get more information about the 3rd FRMC, the public can visit https://www.filipinorestaurantmonth.ca/ and the Facebook page Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada at https://www.facebook.com/FilipinoRestaurantMonthCA.
