He had already made up his mind. The plan was to go home to the Philippines, return to school, and start over. Then, on the last night of 2008, a job offer arrived in Dubai and the ticket home was quietly shelved.
Nineteen years later, Michael Abong is Head of Brand & Marketing for PizzaExpress UAE, overseeing brand strategy, campaigns, digital, social media, loyalty, partnerships, and menu launches across the country. It is a long way from where he started.
That first Dubai job was at ITP Media Group, where he worked as a Content Executive writing sports stories on football and tennis while supporting the senior editorial teams of Time Out Dubai and Arabian Business. The role was modest, but it was a door. “That first role opened the door for me to build a career in media, marketing, brand communications, and eventually hospitality leadership,” he shares with TGFM.
Why leave in the first place
Michael did not go abroad chasing a paycheck. He went chasing range.
“I chose to work abroad because I wanted growth, exposure, and the chance to build a future in a global environment,” he explains. Dubai gave him access to different cultures, industries, and people — the kind of proximity that reshapes how a person thinks about their own work.
He puts it plainly: “For me, working overseas was not only about earning better. It was about becoming better, professionally and personally.”
The years that followed took him across marketing, brand communications, digital media, hospitality, and tech in the UAE. Each role sharpened something — campaign planning, content, partnerships. What stayed constant was his instinct for connecting business objectives to something a person could actually feel.
The part nobody posts online
There is a version of the expat story that lives on social media: the visa stamp, the skyline, the promotion announcement. Michael is quick to describe the version underneath it.
“Settling abroad was not easy,” he says. “Like many expats, I had to deal with pressure, uncertainty, and the need to prove myself in a competitive environment.”
He does not dramatize how he got through it. He credits consistency, a willingness to absorb feedback, and the discipline to surround himself with the right people. Family, close friends, mentors, and faith held the line during the harder seasons — the ones that do not make it into the highlight reel.
The Dubai market, he notes, is unforgiving in a useful way. “The market moves fast, so you learn to adapt, improve, and stay sharp.” It also teaches independence, resilience, and financial responsibility — lessons that arrive whether or not a person is ready for them.
Marketing is a human business
For someone whose title sits firmly in the commercial column, Michael talks about his field in unexpectedly human terms.
“What I appreciate most about hospitality marketing is that it is very human,” he says. “It is not only about promoting food or offers, but about creating experiences for families, friends, residents, and communities.”
He chose marketing because it braids together creativity, strategy, communication, and business — four disciplines that rarely sit comfortably in one room. The reward, for him, is the moment an idea stops being a deck and becomes something a guest walks into. “The most satisfying part is seeing an idea become a real campaign or restaurant experience that guests enjoy.”
Outside the office, he makes time for community-led initiatives and offers practical advice to fellow Filipinos and young professionals when he can. It is not a formal program. It is simply what he thinks the position asks of him.
What he tells kababayans
Ask him for advice and Michael skips the motivational language.
“Build your skills, protect your reputation, save money, and make decisions that your future self will thank you for,” he says. Then a warning about the modern trap: “Do not compare your journey with others, especially with what you see online. Stay focused, choose trustworthy people, and remember why you started.”
His long-term ambition extends beyond his own title. He wants to help Filipino professionals move into marketing, hospitality, and leadership roles — a cohort he believes has the talent and the work ethic, but not always the guidance, the confidence, or access to the right opportunities.
His personal mantra reads like a summary of the last nineteen years: grow quietly, serve sincerely, and let the work speak.
“For me, being a Filipino expat in Dubai is both a privilege and a responsibility,” he says. “Every opportunity is a chance to represent Filipino talent, hard work, and quiet excellence.”
