The two-day “diskwento caravan” initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry-Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) reeled off Thursday with the participation of 21 distributors and exhibitors.
The two day activity, dubbed “Noche Buena Diskwento Caravan,” is being held at the historic Plaza Pershing downtown. The caravan ends tomorrow, Friday.
Ceferino Rubio, head of the DTI-ZCO consumer protection division, said the caravan ensures that those with tight budget would still enjoy their Christmas and New Year celebration.
“Our purpose for conducting this activity is to help our consumers meet their needs and expenses for their celebration of Christmas and New Year,” Rubio said.
Rubio said that big discounts on the prices of Noche Buena items sold by the participating distributors and exhibitors range from 10 percent up to 50 percent.
Basic commodities and selected appliances are also on sale.
Rubio encouraged the public, especially the low income earners to take advantage whenever such activities are conducted by DTI.
“We urge the public to grab this kind of opportunity especially our low income earners as this is designed for them. We want to alleviate their plight in terms of provision of basic goods,” he explained.
The diskwento caravan is also seen as a means to help decongest the stores from buyers especially this Christmas season.
DTI is conducting Diskwento Caravans all over the country as early as 2010, with every DTI Provincial Office mandated to conduct such activities.
For this city, the agency has conducted five diskwento caravans this year, two during the school year opening, another one during the Ramadan, one in-store diskwento fair held by participating stores, and the Noche Buena Diskwento Caravan.
Other DTI Provincial Offices in the region has also conducted such activities.
For next year, DTI Regional Director Sitti Amina Jain has ordered all provincial offices to hold the diskwento caravans in the barangay or rural areas where poverty is more prevalent.
“Diskwento Caravan is really designed for the poor. Instead of conducting it in the business centers in the region, let us bring this activity to our intended clients in the rural areas. This way, we accomplish our goal of helping those who really need it. While we recognize that there are those who reside in the urban areas who need such assistance, we cannot deny the fact that the consumers in the rural or far-flung areas need it the most,” Jain pointed out. (PNA)
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