Isabel Felix On Mary Poppins’ migrant advocacy (1987-1994)

by Levy Abad

Isabel Felix arrived in Winnipeg in 1982 on a work visa as a Live-in Caregiver. Live-in Caregivers were also known in the community as nannies, foreign domestic workers, or “domestics,” back then. Isabel hailed from Matimbo (a ward in the City of Malolos, Province of Bulacan), but she grew up in San Marcelino, Zambales, a province in the Central Luzon Region that borders Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bataan.

Early years in Winnipeg

In my interview with Isabel on September 16, 2025, she shared that, just like other migrants, the main reason for emigrating to Canada was to look for greener pastures to support her family. During that time, she was working eight hours a day, five times a week, at $4.00 per hour, earning $160 a week or $640.00 a month, from which $160 was deducted monthly for food. She added that she experienced getting sick at the job, but her employer kept her working for the week. Her situation greatly improved in terms of earnings when she acquired her immigrant status in 1985, and the precariousness of life gradually improved because of migrant struggles through the years led by advocacy of groups like the Mary Poppins Group, Incorporated (MPGI), the Filipino Domestic Association of Manitoba (FIDWAM), the Philippine Solidarity Group, and lastly, Migrante MB/Canada.

Isabel Felix vividly recalls that most of the Mary Poppins members were helped by the community activism of Fred de Villa in obtaining their permanent residency. According to Cynthia Bermio’s fifth anniversary message, the federal government also helped through Dr. Rey Pagtakhan. She also mentioned Conrad Santos and Kevin Lamoureux’s involvement in addressing the “domestics” issues.

1987, the formation of Mary Poppins

In response to my question whether there was an organization that helped with “domestics” issues and struggles, Isabel recalls that a couple of years before 1987, live-in caregivers and domestics were often having meetings at the Holiday Inn. This was where she met Evelyn Chico and Fred De Villa. They founded the MPGI with Evelyn as its first president. According to the souvenir program that Isabel shared with me – for the fifth anniversary of the MPGI on April 25, 1992 – the two main objectives of the association were: unity and cooperation among domestic workers and upholding and supporting human rights and dignity within the association and the community. Eventually, Evelyn would be the founding president of Mary Poppins Incorporated, named after a popular movie character who was a nanny. Fred de Villa became the organization’s adviser. Lydia Manalang was elected president in 1991 (MPGI ID, signed by Lydia Manalang). When the group celebrated its fifth anniversary, Cynthia Bermio was elected president, and Isabel was elected vice-president. Isabel shared that they would always have gatherings at houses for updates on government policies, personal struggles, enjoying food, and having fun. She recalled that FIDWAM was also formed in 1988 with the same objective of advocating for “domestics’” rights and welfare. Isabel succeeded Cythia Bermio as president in 1993 until the group disbanded.

Reaching her dreams

Isabel studied nursing but could not finish her dream because her mother became ill. She ended up helping manage her mother’s grocery store. She also did some upgrades by studying computer programming and assembly to prepare herself for work abroad, from 1980-81 in Hong Kong. She asserts that if not for the opportunity to emigrate to Canada, she wouldn’t have been able to send her kids to school. Her son is a civil engineer, while her daughter is an industrial engineer. Nowadays, Isabel is enjoying her retirement.

It was in 2014 when I met Isabel while doing my casework as a constituency assistant of Florfina Marcelino, MLA for Logan. During that time, I was also an organizer for Migrante-Manitoba, a Canada-wide migrant organization, advancing the rights and welfare of migrants. Isabel would jokingly tell me to write her story. I would hear her name while researching the early migrant organizations of Winnipeg. As a researcher on the early years of the struggle of Filipino migrants in Canada and Winnipeg, it is fitting to give tribute to Isabel for helping with Mary Poppins’ advocacy.