SAIGON CO.OP LAUNCHES "THE HAPPY BUS" SEASON 4 – BRINGING 900 HOMELESS WORKERS BACK TO CELEBRATE TET HOLIDAY WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

Ho Chi Minh City, morning of February 12, 2026 – Amidst the bustling atmosphere of the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse, Saigon Co.op officially launched its fourth season of the "Happy Journey – Returning Home for Tet with Saigon Co.op" program, continuing its journey to bring Tet reunions to disadvantaged workers who have not had the opportunity to return home to celebrate with their families for many years.

Tet comes from family reunions.

This year, the program deployed 20 buses, transporting 900 passengers back to provinces in the Central Highlands, South Central, and North Central regions. Each bus trip was not just a means of transportation, but also a journey meticulously planned with care, safety, and sharing – from meals, drinks, and heartfelt Tet gifts throughout the journey, to welcoming and assisting passengers upon their arrival in their hometowns.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thang – Deputy General Director of Saigon Co.op – said: “For us, the Happy Journey is not just a social welfare activity, but also a lasting commitment to bringing happiness to the community. Tet will be more complete when every migrant worker has the opportunity to return to their family, to the loving embrace of their loved ones.”

“Come to Co.op to bring Tet home” – When the message is realized through charitable transportation services.

Saigon Co.op not only focuses on serving Tet shopping needs with the common message across all its retail outlets: "Come to Co.op and bring Tet home," but also aims to realize that message through concrete actions. Because, besides "bringing Tet" to every kitchen through abundant goods, stable prices, and quality, Saigon Co.op also helps people return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet – bringing reunions, hope, and the message that no one is left behind on the journey to welcome the Spring.

This year's program is supported by many businesses and partners, including: Unilever Vietnam, Mondelez International, Suntory PepsiCo, MaxKleen, Wilmar Marketing CLV, Dutch Lady Vietnam, Bien Hoa Consumer Goods Joint Stock Company (BHC), Nestlé, and Masan Group. The collaboration of these entities has contributed additional resources to expand the program's scale, improve passenger care quality, and spread the spirit of sharing within the community.

After four years of implementation, the "Happy Bus" program has helped nearly 3,200 migrant workers return home for Tet (Lunar New Year). In the first year, the program served 500 passengers; in the following three years, it supported 900 passengers each year, gradually expanding its scale and becoming a meaningful annual activity during the Spring festival.

These passengers carried a simple wish: to go home for Tet (Lunar New Year).

As one of the passengers on the bus to Dak Lak (formerly Phu Yen), Ms. Pham Thi Lan (a freelance worker temporarily residing in Ho Chi Minh City) said that her family had just experienced a major storm and flood that severely damaged their small house in their hometown: “After the storm, almost nothing in the house was left intact. We came to the city to start over, saving every penny. Hearing about the 'Happy Bus' trip, I was so happy because I could go back to my hometown with my husband and child early, help my grandparents clean up and repair the house. For my family, this bus not only takes us back to our hometown, but also brings us back with hope.”

Sitting quietly waiting for her turn to board the bus, Ms. Le Thi Sau (63 years old, a lottery ticket vendor from Quang Ngai province) said tearfully, "For the past few years, I've only dared to call home to wish everyone a Happy New Year because I didn't have enough money to buy a bus ticket. Now that I get to ride the 'Happy Bus,' I'm so happy. No one in my neighborhood, where I sell lottery tickets and collect scrap metal, has been able to sleep since receiving the tickets because we're so happy. I just hope to get home in time to light incense for my ancestors and have a meal with my children and grandchildren – that's enough to feel like it's Tet (Vietnamese New Year)."

After four seasons of implementation, "The Happy Bus" has become an annual activity with a humanitarian significance for Saigon Co.op every Tet holiday – where each bus roll marks the beginning of a journey for hundreds of families returning home to love, reunion, and hope.

Source: https://saigonco-op.com.vn/tin-tuc/tin-saigon-co-op/saigon-co-op-khoi-hanh-chuyen-xe-hanh-phuc-mua-4-dua-900-nguoi-lao-dong-xa-que-ve-don-tet-doan-vien