A Filipina expatriate, employed as a cleaning assistant at a private company in Abu Dhabi, recently secured the top prize in the inaugural Emirates Labour Market Award. Maria Isabel Lacierda, 44, not only received accolades for her strong work ethic but was also hailed as "a beacon of success."

Expressing her gratitude, Lacierda credited her company, Emirates Business Group (EBG), for the nomination and the chance to showcase her "dedication and passion at work." She described working in the UAE as a dream come true and expressed appreciation for every moment.

Lacierda, known fondly as Isabel by her colleagues, received Dh100,000 and additional benefits for excelling in the workforce category. In a humble gesture, she dedicated the award not only to herself but also to her boss, managers, supervisors, colleagues, and the entire EBG personnel, considering them her second family in the UAE.

Beyond her diligent work routine—being the first to arrive and the last to leave—the recognition also highlighted Lacierda's creativity in recycling. She transforms old newspapers into Papier-mâché, crafting boxes, trays, and ornaments for office desks. Popsicle sticks and paper straws find new life as flower vases, mug holders, cellphone stands, and frames, each carrying an inspirational quote.

Lacierda's resourcefulness extends to creating handmade gifts, reciprocating the kindness shown to her by colleagues. Her boss, who once gifted her Dh200, received a handcrafted item made with sincerity, sparking joy among the team.

Her resourceful and creative approach has endeared Lacierda to her colleagues, with her boss praising her as the soul of the office during a thanksgiving breakfast held in her honor.

Raised with a strong work ethic by her parents despite financial challenges, Lacierda, who arrived in the UAE in 2011, worked as a nanny before joining a cleaning company in 2015 and eventually moving to EBG in 2018.

With plans to invest the prize money in a farmland in her hometown in the Philippines, Lacierda remains dedicated to her work in the UAE, with no plans of retiring soon. Her story has been recognized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation as "a beacon of success" and a source of inspiration for all.