5,000 consumers benefit from Diskwento Caravan

CEBU, Philippines - Over 5,000 consumers benefited from the recently concluded “Diskwento Rovings Caravan” in Central Visayas, of which sales generation of participating establishments reached P956 thousand.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) reported that because of this success, the government is planning to have this program institutionalized, as it was able to stretch the pockets of the consumers, said DTI-7 regional director Asteria Caberte.

The agency held a total of 15-location “Diskwento Caravan” across Central Visayas, with a total of 29 in-store activities.

DTI-7 talked with manufacturers and suppliers to roll out the “Diskwento” program focusing on the school needs of children.

Basic and prime commodities were included in the Diskwento Roving Caravan as “pabaon” for school children, said Caberte.

Along with the attractive offers of participating establishments, free haircuts were provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Caberte said that an average of two to three percent price increase of basic school supplies was noted based on the weekly monitoring campaign of the department. However, because of stiff competition especially in the urban centers some retailers have not increase their prices in the last few weeks.

“Please be guided by the quality and choices because there is a wide array of products, it will depend on brand selection and quality,” Caberte warned consumers.

Based on the school supply monitoring campaign conducted by DTI-7, Aspen brand notebooks (40 leaves) increased its price by 14 percent, Grade 1 (80 leaves) writing pad paper Advance Pack brand surged by 12 percent, while Star, Best Buy and Easy Writing brands have maintained their prices in the last few weeks.

According to Caberte her office has to strictly monitoring the prices of school supplies, in the light of wage hike issue.

 This year’s first Diskwento Caravan in Central Visayas, were held in Dalaguete, Argao, Bayawan, Guihulngan, Siquijor, Larena, Talibon, Trinidda, Bien Unido, Ubay, Baclayon, Sevilla, Loboc, Bilar and Batuan.

Meanwhile, DTI-7 announced that it will hold a Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) Caravan in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental on July 5 to 6 this year.

The MSME Caravan in Dumaguete City is part of nationwide activity to improve access to MSMEs to government services particularly in areas where the provision of business development services may be limited.

According to Caberte the activity also aims to increase the awareness of MSMEs on various business development services provided by the government and private sector entities.

 Topics to be discussed will include among others access to markets: franchising, business ethics, product development/product design, e-marketing and putting up a business online, creative selling techniques, product costing and pricing, free trade agreements, export procedures and how to participate in trade fairs.

Other topics to be tackled also include access to finance like business plan preparation, credit sourcing and management, productivity and efficiency, including packaging and labeling, good manufacturing, intellectual property and productivity improvement; as well as business environment like the entrepreneurial mindset, opportunity seeking and product development and how to market the business.

DTI record showed that MSMEs represent 99.6 percent of all registered businesses in the country, thus considered as the backbone of the Philippine economy.

Caberte said in order to strengthen support to the sector, the series of free entrepreneurship briefing sessions are geared toward enterprise creation and imparting more knowledge and information necessary in starting and running a business. (FREEMAN)