DTI holds diskwento caravans in Bohol

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is holding a series of Diskwento Caravans in Bohol.

This is to ensure that local consumers will have access to essential goods in the midst of the crisis they are facing, according to DTI Central Visayas Regional Director Asteria Caberte.

The DTI will coordinate with the Provincial Price Coordinating Council (PPCC) and the local government units in holding the Diskwento Caravan in Maribojoc tomorrow, Oct. 29 and in Tubigon on Oct. 31.

Products featured in the caravans include canned goods, bath soaps, shampoos, coffee, milk, noodles, rice, biscuits, eggs, bread, dressed chicken, bottled water and cleansing agents, among others.

The Alturas Group of Companies, Bohol Quality Corp. and AH Shoppers’ Mart, Gardenia Bakeries Phils., Inc. are some of the participating retailers, while the National Food Authority will sell NFA rice.

Last Oct. 21, the DTI’s price and supply monitoring teams also visited 236 wet markets, supermarkets and retail stores in Bohol and Cebu to check if there were overpricing of products following the Oct. 15 earthquake that hit the two provinces.

Lawyer Victorio Mario Dimagiba, DTI-Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Group officer-in-charge, said the department found out that there was enough supply of basic goods and that the retailers were selling the products according to the list of prices that was released last Oct. 18.

Since the onslaught of the 7.2 Richter scale earthquake in Bohol, the DTI regional and provincial offices were directed to closely monitor the price and supply of basic goods in business establishments in affected areas.

For more information on the Diskwento Caravan,  interested parties may contact the DTI regional office at 2550036 or 2550037, DTI-Bohol at (038) 5018260 and DTI Cebu at 2553926 or 2556971.