Davao Diaries: September 16, 2025

Shubhrendu Khoche • September 16, 2025

A yufin employee in front of a sari-sari store.

1. It’s easier to gamble away that one Peso on “Piso spin” from your mobile wallet or online because of utterly smooth user flows.

There are better uses for that one Peso though. Like the coin operated Piso Wifi box, or the coin operated kiosk that dispenses cool or warm water and quenches your thirst in the field. But the user flows have much higher friction. QR PH!

The other better use of a Peso for wholesalers, with smoother user flows, is our yuCredits cashback built into the checkout experience of yuOrders, the weekly ordering of supplies by small businesses.

2. Small businesses spot opportunities very quickly. We were convincing a small merchant to resell appliances and gadgets for a commission with ‘yuMall’, but she prefers to buy the stocks herself instead and resell at higher margins in her community. She knows the hyperlocal willingness-to-pay better than wholesalers.

3. The Philippines is having an interesting time with rice imports. More than 50% of Vietnamese Jasmine rice goes to the Philippines, and policy tunings are causing big swings in retail price of the staple. On the other hand, imports of frozen sliced potatoes for French fries are surging.

India has a connection here. A prominent source for these potato imports is the state of Gujrat in India.