BAGUIO CITY – The annual “Diskwento Caravan” organized by the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office (DTI-Benguet) went on last Nov. 16-18 despite a blunder that marred the ground preparations for the event.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the DTI event done with the participation of a department store chain in the city has been mounted in the city for eight years now and has been benefiting the local community by offering basic commodities and appliances with big price markdowns.
The event was usually done at the Baguio Convention Center grounds but due to the renovation works in the area, it was transferred to the Baguio Athletic Bowl this year with the agreement that only the cemented grounds and the bleachers will be used to protect the Tartan track.
However, reports reached the mayor on Wednesday that the constructions included a portion of the track contrary to what was approved in the plan.
Upon the mayor’s orders, the event coordinator from the department store immediately righted the stalls and kept to the cemented area while admitting in a radio interview that they made the move without the mayor’s knowledge.
The mayor rued that some quarters were quick to post the gaffe at the social media and pin the blame on him right away.
He also maintained that the caravan should not be treated as a trade fair as it has a different concept which is to help consumers by giving their money more purchasing power through price discounts which is not being done in trade fairs.
The event is also mainly a project of the DTI which regularly conducts it before Christmas and before the opening of classes to give the buyers an opportunity to purchase quality products at low prices, as per Freda Gawisan, DTI-Benguet provincial officer.
Despite the gaffe, the mayor appreciated that many consumers again benefited from the special sale.
By: Aileen P. Refuerzo
