TERESA Cantuba has been feeding the Filipino community in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City for more than 15 years. She cooks with the same passion she brought on day one. She has never stopped showing up.
But for 15 years, her business barely moved. No growth. The same buyers, the same word of mouth, the same ceiling. Not because her food was not good. Because there was no platform to connect her to the thousands of Filipinos living just kilometers away who did not know she existed.
That is the gap that stopped Poppet Celdran in his tracks.
Celdran, a serial entrepreneur from Cebu, had spent years watching the Filipino diaspora navigate a fragmented, informal economy. Filipino sellers had exactly what buyers needed. But no structured marketplace existed to connect them, take payments, coordinate delivery, or give sellers the time back to focus on what they do best.
"Teresa has been showing up for 15 years. The problem was never her dedication. The problem was that the infrastructure to grow simply did not exist. SariKo is that infrastructure."
On April 18, 2026, Celdran soft-launched SariKo, a culturally trusted marketplace designed for Filipinos living and selling in Ho Chi Minh City. Within weeks, 19 sellers had joined the platform with zero paid marketing spend. The platform's full commercial launch is set for June 21, 2026, coinciding with the 128th Philippine Independence Day commemoration in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with SAPI (Samahan ng mga Pilipino), the Filipino community organization serving about 15,000 Filipinos in Ho Chi Minh City.
SariKo takes its name from "sari sari," the beloved Filipino neighborhood variety store, reimagined for the digital diaspora. Payments, buyer-seller chat, and delivery are fully integrated, giving sellers like Teresa the freedom to take more orders and devote more time to production rather than logistics.
"This is not just commerce. Every transaction on SariKo is an act of cultural preservation. When a Filipino in Vietnam buys longganisa from a seller they trust, they are keeping something alive."
Celdran is no stranger to building from the ground up. A three-time founder who began his career as a journalist for SunStar in Cebu, he is an alumnus of Antler Vietnam, Bridge for Billions, and Founder Institute Vietnam 2025. His previous startup Zen Wellness was named a Top 50 startup at Vietnam's Startup Wheel in 2022.
SariKo is backed by an advisory board that brings together trade expertise, community leadership, and academic depth. Dr. Beth C. Candol, President of SAPI and a Doctor of Philosophy, brings the full weight of the Filipino community organization in Ho Chi Minh City to the platform. Rico Mariano, a Foreign Trade Service Officer of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry based in Vietnam, contributes government trade expertise and institutional networks critical to SariKo's commercial expansion. Mr. Tin Anadilla, Secretary of SAPI and a founding investor in SariKo, bridges community trust with early capital commitment.
Filipino sellers and buyers in Ho Chi Minh City can join the platform at www.sariko.store.
Follow SariKo on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sarisarikoto.
For investors interested in the SariKo Founders Circle, visit founders.sariko.store. (PR)