When Maria Paz Banaag-Marquez first arrived in Dubai, her days were spent scrubbing floors and doing domestic work. Like many overseas Filipino workers, she came driven by necessity and love for her family back home. What set her journey apart was not privilege or luck, but quiet faith, steady patience, and a mother’s unbreakable resolve.
Today, at 58, Maria Paz stands as the owner of Maria Paz–Pastry & Café, a Filipino bakery that has grown to nine branches across the UAE, and has been recognized by the DMW through a personal visit by Sec. Hans Leo Cacdac and his team. She was honored with a Special Award at the Global Filipino Icon Award, recognizing a journey that many OFWs see as their own reflected back to them.
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A Journey Rooted in Sacrifice
Maria Paz’s reason for working abroad was deeply personal. Her daughter, Jamaica Mae, was born with multiple disabilities. Providing long term care and a stable future meant pushing past fear, fatigue, and loneliness. Dubai became the place where sacrifice turned into survival.
She worked quietly, endured patiently, and held onto a simple belief. Do the work well. Stay kind. Trust that goodness returns.
“Tiis lang, basta kaya ang trabaho, gawin ang trabaho,” Maria often says. It is advice many OFWs grew up hearing, but rarely see rewarded so clearly.
A Small Bakery With a Big Purpose
In December 2021, after years of saving and learning, Maria Paz took a leap many OFWs dream of but few attempt. She opened a small bakery. No big launch. No flashy branding. Just Filipino pastries made with care and familiar flavors that reminded customers of home.
What began as a modest shop quickly grew through word of mouth. Filipinos shared it with friends, coworkers, and families. Each branch felt less like a business and more like a gathering place for comfort food and quiet conversations.
In just four years, that single bakery expanded into nine branches.
The Cheesecake That Built a Following
At the heart of the bakery’s success is a simple star product. A Filipino style cheesecake. Freshly baked. No preservatives. Often sold out before the day ends.
“Simpleng recipe lang kasi ng Pinay,” Maria says with a smile.
Customers return not just for the taste, but for the feeling. Each slice carries familiarity. It reminds people of birthdays back home, family celebrations, and small joys that feel far away when living abroad.
In a city filled with global brands and fast-food chains, Maria Paz–Pastry & Café stands out by offering something deeply personal. And it was this familiar offering that made her etch a name for herself among the Filipino community, creating a haven where homesick hearts could find comfort in every bite and memories of home were never far away.
Faith as a Business Foundation
Maria Paz credits her growth not to shortcuts or aggressive expansion, but to values she carried with her from the beginning.
- Honesty in pricing
- Kindness to staff
- Consistency in quality
- Faith in hard work
For her, business was never just about profit. It was about service. Providing jobs. Offering comfort. Showing fellow OFWs that progress does not always come loudly. Sometimes it comes steadily.
An Inspiration for OFWs Everywhere
More than a success story, Maria Paz’s journey has become a symbol of what is possible for overseas workers who feel unseen or stuck.
She did not arrive as an entrepreneur. She arrived as a worker.
She did not start with capital. She started with courage.
She did not build alone. She built with faith.
For many Filipinos in the UAE, her bakery is more than a place to buy dessert. It is proof that sacrifice can grow into something meaningful. That homesickness can be eased by familiar flavors. That perseverance, when paired with humility, can open doors once thought closed.
As Maria Paz accepted her award, the applause was not just for business success. It was for every OFW who keeps going quietly, trusting that their story is still unfolding.
Watch: From housekeeper to bakery owner: The untold story of Maria Paz Pastry owner
The video tells about Maria Paz Banaag’s story – her journey from working as a domestic helper in Dubai to building a well-known pastry business through steady effort and belief in her craft.
She learns baking step by step, improves through practice, and saves carefully while working long hours away from home.
With patience and courage, she opens Maria Paz Pastry and slowly earns loyal customers through her bestselling cheesecakes.
Her business grows in Dubai’s competitive food scene, showing how discipline and passion can turn small beginnings into lasting success.
The video presents her life as a reminder that many OFWs can build more than income abroad, they can build a future.