Zamboanga City. OIC-DTI-Region 9 RD Ceferino J. Rubio says that the agency’s Diskwento Caravan (Rolling Stores) continues to provide relief to affected micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who have been assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through its various programs. Diskwento Caravan (DC) that continues to roll out in various barangays and municipalities in the region is now on its seven (7th) week in convergence with the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Kadiwa on Wheels. These were rolled out by the provincial offices of Zamboanga City (including Isabela City), Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay. DA brings in the producers of agri-fishery while DTI taps the retailers to include its assisted MSMEs with their food and non-food products.
Rubio added that the relief that the Diskwento Caravan is providing to the MSMEs is the opportunity to bring in their products to the marginalized areas where consumers are also taking preference of their products because of accessibility, availability, and affordability. These MSMEs have long been assisted by DTI thru its various programs, projects and activities: provision of free trainings thru Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMME) and the establishment of Negosyo Centers (NCs); provision of seed capital thru Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB), and Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PBG); product development and trade promotion thru OTOP Next Gen (ONG); financial facilitation thru Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) Enterprise Rehabilitation Fund (ERF), and provision of equipment/facility thru Shared Service Facility (SSF) Projects. A larger number of these enterprises have been forced to discontinue their operations since the ECQ and GCQ have been implemented in their respective areas to fight against COVID 19.
Rubio further apprised that for April-July 2020 covering the ECQ and GCQ period, DTI Region 9 through its provincial offices continues to bring in these gains: 54 DTI-DA Diskwento Caravans cum Kadiwa on Wheels; 20 DTI Rolling Stores/Diskwento Caravans; 129 Barangays Served; 15,775 Households Benefitted, 215 Participating Retailers, and sales of P6,297,189.34. Of these gains, 27 (ZC-1, ZDN-1, ZDS-20 and ZSP-5) are MSMEs bringing in 4% of the total sales which is P 235,056.00. While GCQ is still ongoing for Zamboanga City and MGCQ for the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay, Rubio again reassures MSMEs that the Diskwento Caravan will continue to roll out in various areas in partnership with DA’s Kadiwa on Wheels to ensure that not only basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) along with fresh agri-fishery produce are being accessed at a reasonable/discounted price throughout the quarantine period but also the products of MSMEs are also being showcased at a very affordable/reasonable price. ♦
Date of Release: 6 August 2020