Holland Group (1969-1975) Migration perspectives

by Levy Abad

On September 19, 2025, the Manitoba government, through the office of the Hon. Malaya Marcelino, Minister of Labour and Immigration, honoured the Filipino Garment Workers of the ‘60s and ‘70s in the province’s first Garment Workers Day. The event was a huge success; it triggered conversations among Filipino seniors. I overheard compatriots talking about the Holland group of garment workers, the first wave of which arrived on March 13, 1969. This was followed by the batch of 72 workers in March 1972, and then the third batch, composed of 92 workers who arrived in 1975 on a staggered basis. These Filipino workers ended up in Holland because they were recruited by the Bergehouse Company of the Netherlands to work in its coat factory (The First Filipino Immigrants in Manitoba, G. Dalayoan et al., pp. 32-33). Even in the ’60s, the Netherlands was already an industrialized society. Eventually, most, if not all, would sponsor their loved ones to immigrate. It is not surprising that after more than fifty years, the number of Filipinos in Winnipeg has reached almost one hundred thousand.

Before the arrival of the Holland group, there were garment workers who came to Winnipeg as early as October 1, 1968. Cleto Buduhan, in the book of Gemma Dalayoan, explains that the “garment workers consisted of five groups depending on their composition and dates of arrival. There were the 1968 arrivals called the trial or mother group, made up of 114 workers; the 1969 recruits, a total of 289 with landed immigrant status, who arrived in ten flight groups with seven males in this layer; the 1969-1971 sponsored garment workers who are kin of earlier immigrants: the 1972 recruits who came with job acceptance” (p. 30).

Neocolonialism and brain drain

All these waves of Filipino migrant workers only prove one thing: the social system in the old country cannot absorb the generations of workers that the Philippines produces. I, myself, have been a witness to this. Working in a manufacturing setting since 2006, I have noticed that most of the migrant labour comes from underdeveloped countries, and rarely from industrialized countries like Japan or South Korea.

Filipino seniors often reflect and express their gratitude for the opportunity to migrate to an industrialized country like Canada, which paved the path to greener pastures. One can hear positive conversations about jobs and the social safety nets (i.e. healthcare) that the Canadian social system provides. This was the result of the social democratic struggles rooted in the revolutionary tradition of the Canadian working class, like the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. However, what is glossed over is the sociological reasons that pushed Filipino workers to migrate. Among them are the pre-industrial and agricultural conditions prevailing in the old country that limit job opportunities. Out of these semi-feudal and neocolonial bases arises a superstructure, gripped by bureaucratic greed and corruption, which was addressed by the September 21, 2025, Nationwide Anti-Corruption protest in the old country.

Migration and struggles continue

The plight of Filipino workers came to mind when I attended a forum on September 30, 2025, where Santiago Dasmariñas Jr. was the guest speaker. Santiago is the President of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition, and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE). COURAGE is a sister union of the CUPE. He shared that, to date, approximately 6,000 Filipinos leave the Philippines every day in search of better opportunities abroad. He further stated that when workers organize and resist, waves of persecution are launched by the puppet government. One will therefore not be surprised to meet nurses, doctors, midwives and other professionals who left the old country to settle in Winnipeg, taking jobs below their qualifications. What drove the Holland group to come to Winnipeg in the ‘70s is the same reason why migration is still pervasive. While we admire the tenacity of our people, this also raises a lot of questions about why the best minds and highly skilled workers decided to leave to start a new life in other countries.

The history of Filipino migration in Manitoba should be highlighted. It is because of this that I deeply appreciate the pioneering research of Cleto Buduhan and Gemma Dalayoan in keeping the narrative and analysis of our community intact. Their work serves as a challenge to future generations to continue chronicling the struggles of our people.