A difficult search for a treadmill technician inspired Julian Markus Villaflores, 11, to start No DIY in Cebu. Built with student developers and supported by his family, the home and repair services marketplace is inviting service professionals to register ahead of its customer rollout.

CEBU CITY, Philippines, Oct. 23, 2026. A broken treadmill at home gave 11-year-old Julian Markus Villaflores the idea for No DIY, a marketplace that aims to help households find skilled workers and service professionals. The Cebu-based platform is now inviting professionals to register ahead of its customer rollout.

It started with one repair

Julian Markus watched his father ask around, search online and call for help, yet finding a treadmill technician still took time. A household needed a repair, but reaching the right person was difficult. No DIY aims to give families another place to look and professionals another way to reach customers beyond their existing contacts.

“I saw my dad try so hard just to find one person who could fix it,” Julian Markus said. “There are so many good technicians out there. They just can’t find each other. I wanted to make that easy.”

Built with student teams

Julian Markus brought the idea to ASV Business Solution, the Cebu software company led by his mother, April Villaflores. The company, which develops Cirquolus, runs an internship program for Computer Science and IT students from universities across the Philippines.

Students from La Salle University in Ozamiz City laid the initial foundation. A team from Cebu Technological University-Ginatilan Extension conducted social surveys and market-fit analysis. Interns from Northwest Samar State University continued development and completed the app. As each batch finished its required hours, the work passed to the next team.

“Every batch knew they might not be the ones to finish it, and they gave it their best anyway,” said April Villaflores, managing owner of ASV Business Solution. “Julian learned what it means to lead. The students learned what it means to build something real people will use.”

Learning within Cebu’s startup community

Alongside his work on No DIY, Julian is actively involved in Cebu City’s startup community. He participates in Sugod Bahay gatherings and a startup development program through StellarPH and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). These activities give him opportunities to learn alongside other entrepreneurs, with support from his family and the student developers who helped build the platform.

Service professionals invited to register

No DIY is welcoming technicians, electricians, plumbers, aircon and appliance repair specialists, carpenters and other service professionals to create profiles ahead of its customer rollout. A profile gives professionals a place to explain what they offer and helps potential customers find services that match their needs.

Professionals can register at https://no-diy.com/auth/register