DTI-ARMM launches 'Diskwento Caravan' in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY – Basic commodities, school supplies, and other products are being sold at lower prices through the ‘Diskwento Caravan’ under the Department of Trade and Industry in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DTI-ARMM).Consumers in the municipality of Parang and neighboring towns in Maguindanao, where the initiative was launched on Monday, May 22, can now avail of good quality food and non-food items at prices lower than those in regular retail outlets.Stanley Cang, DTI Maguindanao technical management services chief, said the caravan was aimed at providing an opportunity for consumers, especially those in the lower-income bracket, to access basic goods, school supplies, and prime commodities.The Diskwento Caravan is one of the mechanisms of the government to provide relief to workers through non-wage benefits and one way to augment their income enabling them to cope with rising prices of basic goods and services. This is the first time that our department (DTI-ARMM) has organized this kind of caravan, Cang said. The project, which carries the theme ‘Diskwentong Panalo para sa Mamimimiling Bangsamoro’, is being implemented in partnership with local government units and local entrepreneurs. We encourage the public, especially the parents, to come and visit the caravan as the products are at reduced prices for it will help them to save money in preparation for the school year, Usman Ibay III, municipal administrator of Parang said.The week-long caravan is currently selling goods at the municipal gymnasium in Parang, Maguindanao and is simultaneously conducted in different areas in the region.(Bureau of Public Information)