MSM Cargo boss on 14 years of moving love

For many overseas Filipino workers, a balikbayan box is more than a cardboard container.

It is months of sacrifice packed into one box. A coffee jar bought during a supermarket sale. A pair of shoes carefully chosen for a child. Chocolates, toiletries, clothes and gifts purchased one paycheck at a time.

No one understands that better than Marilyn Bantilo Martinico-Siervo. The founder and owner of MSM Cargo has spent the last 14 years helping Filipinos in the UAE send pieces of their lives back home.

Today, she oversees a growing business portfolio spanning the UAE and the Philippines, employs more than 300 people, and owns everything from real estate ventures in Dubai to a hotel in Northern Samar, Philippines. Yet in an exclusive interview with Expat Media, Marilyn insists her greatest source of pride is still the humble balikbayan box.

An OFW who never forgot her roots

Marilyn arrived in the UAE in 2004, carrying the same hopes shared by many OFWs: support her family and create a better future for her children.

Born in Pambujan, Northern Samar, she came to Dubai on a visit visa and faced the same uncertainties that thousands of Filipinos continue to experience today. "It wasn't easy," she recalls. 

She juggled long working hours, worried about finances, and experienced the realities of bedspace living while searching for opportunities. "I also experienced the uncertainty of hunting for jobs. It was a struggle, but I managed to surpass it," she says.

Her first job was as a marketing manager for an advertising company. The role opened her eyes to business and entrepreneurship. "I think if you are hardworking, luck will favour you," she says. "One blessing after another came into my life."

Building MSM Cargo from the heart

Long before she became known as a businesswoman, Marilyn was simply a daughter who loved sending gifts home.

Her late mother was the inspiration behind what would eventually become MSM Cargo. Whenever Marilyn sent balikbayan boxes to Northern Samar, her mother would distribute many of the contents to neighbours, relatives and people in need.

"Our home was like a charity centre," she says with a laugh. Her mother would always remind her that blessings should be shared. "She would tell me that it was good if many people could enjoy the fruits of my hard work. Even if it was only a small thing, people were happy to receive it."

As she continued sending balikbayan boxes, she became increasingly frustrated by reports of delayed deliveries, missing shipments and cargo companies that suddenly shut down. That eventually became her mission and the foundation of MSM Cargo.

When Marilyn launched MSM Cargo 14 years ago, her goal was simple: create the kind of cargo company she would trust with her own balikbayan boxes.

Today, MSM Cargo operates throughout the UAE with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, supported by sales teams across all emirates. It is also one of the few cargo companies operating in the UAE that is accredited by the Philippine Bureau of Customs for its excellent track record in freight forwarding, compliant Philippine warehouse and in-house deconsolidator.

What makes the company different, she says, is that it controls the process from start to finish. Unlike many cargo operators that rely on third-party partners in the Philippines, MSM Cargo has its own Philippine company, MSM Philippines Cargo Freight, a government-accredited deconsolidator that handles customs clearance, warehousing and delivery to recipients nationwide.

"We are one of the few cargo companies that deliver cargo from A to Z," she says. Having her own deconsolidator in the Philippines allows her team to monitor shipments at every stage and maintain the same standards from pickup in the UAE to delivery at the recipient's doorstep. That control has become increasingly important in recent years as Philippine authorities continue to deal with thousands of abandoned balikbayan boxes left behind by erring freight forwarders.

For Marilyn, the issue is deeply personal. "When I read reports about abandoned boxes by other cargo companies, it hurts me because I know how hard OFWs worked to send them. They don't buy everything in one month. They slowly buy things and slowly fill up their balikbayan box." She pauses before adding: "They saved for those items and then a cargo company just leaves them stranded in a port. It’s not right.”

That passion remains today. Even after 14 years in business, Marilyn still responds to customer inquiries herself and remains heavily involved in daily operations. Every box matters. "I remind my staff, 'Do you know how hard people worked to buy these things? These weren't purchased in one month. They slowly saved for them,'" she says.

During the recent disruption caused by tensions in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, she spent sleepless nights looking for alternative routes to ensure shipments would continue moving. The alternative route was longer and more expensive, but she says it was necessary. "Even if it's the difficult way, we will make sure those boxes are delivered," she says.

Success measured in jobs created

While MSM Cargo remains her flagship business, Marilyn's entrepreneurial journey expanded far beyond logistics.

After leaving employment, she first ventured into advertising before moving into real estate. Her property business was driven by another personal experience.

When she first arrived in Dubai, she experienced cramped and difficult living conditions. That memory inspired her to provide affordable housing options for fellow OFWs. "I saw how hard people were trying to save money," she says.

Over the years, her real estate portfolio grew, helping countless Filipino workers find accommodation. Some tenants even received employment opportunities through her businesses. Today, she employs more than 300 people across the UAE and Philippines under her business portfolio that includes property ventures, beauty services, logistics and hospitality.

A hotel built to help a province

One of Marilyn's proudest achievements stands oceans away from Dubai. In 2022, she opened Royale Palm Hotel in her hometown of Pambujan, Northern Samar. The project took five years to complete and faced delays caused by the pandemic. Many questioned the decision. "People kept asking why I would build a hotel in Samar," she recalls. But the hotel was never just about tourism. It was about jobs. "In our province, opportunities are limited," she says.

Unlike many employers that require university degrees, Marilyn deliberately created positions for both graduates and non-graduates. "I especially like helping undergraduates find work."

Today, the hotel has become a venue for government functions, corporate events and major gatherings in Northern Samar. For Marilyn, it is proof that investing in a community can help elevate an entire region.

Giving back quietly

Perhaps the least known part of Marilyn's story is her philanthropy. Over the years, she has helped more than a dozen students complete their education. Some questioned why she was paying for other people's schooling.

Her answer is simple. "If I have the means to help someone and improve their future, how can I say no?" She rarely publicises those efforts. The desire to help, she says, comes from her mother. "I got that from her."

What's next for Marilyn? After more than two decades in the UAE, she is beginning to think about slowing down, although not quite yet.

A new holiday homes venture called Summit View is currently in development in Dubai. The project will focus on holiday rentals and hospitality management, capitalising on Dubai's position as a global tourism hub.

Looking back on her journey, Marilyn believes success has always come down to a simple principle. "Honesty and trust."

It is the same principle she built MSM Cargo on 14 years ago. And every time a balikbayan box arrives safely at a family's doorstep in the Philippines, she is reminded why she started. Not to build a business empire. But to make sure someone's hard-earned sacrifice packaged in a care box makes it home. PIA/Expat Media

This is the cover story of the Expat Media Special Edition magazine. To reach out to MSM Cargo, contact 04 3546080, 04 3546081, 04 3546086, 04 3546089 and 02 4441245 or WhatsApp 0509186264 or 052 8057326 or visit their main office in Manila Building, Satwa Dubai, ortheir branches in Deira, Al Badaa and Abu Dhabi.