Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, Alfonso Ferdinand Ver highlighted the remarkable success story of Maria Paz Marquez, a Filipina entrepreneur in Dubai who transformed her life from a household service worker to a thriving business owner.
Originally from Sariaya, Quezon, Maria Paz arrived in the UAE 16 years ago and worked for 13 years as a housekeeper for an expatriate couple.
During their conversation during a Philippine Independence Day celebration in Al Ain, Ver shared that in 2021, amidst the rise of home food businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she ventured into opening a small bakery in Satwa, a community in Dubai with a significant Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) population.
“Today she has 5 branches including a soon to open 205 square meter main bakery and commissary in Deira, Dubai,” he wrote.
“Mabuhay po kayo, Maria Paz! From HSW to Entrepreneur/Business Owner. Shukran UAE for allowing Filipinos to thrive and succeed!” wrote Ambassador Ver in his post.
Maria Paz, whose story appeared in one of last year’s editions of The Global Filipino Magazine, began her journey in her hometown where she first learned baking as a part-time job at a local bakery. Her passion for baking followed her to the UAE, where her employers provided her with a kitchen to pursue her baking. This eventually led to the opening of her own business, Maria Paz Pastry.
