by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Diskwento Fair in Isabela City has generated total sales of P264,252.50 in one day from eight exhibitors at the town’s public market last Friday.
Isabela City labor chief Engr. Wesley Tan said that the Diskwento Fair last May 16 was initiated as a non-wage benefit to workers in the private, public and informal sector to provide a venue wherein consumers could purchase wide array of basic and prime commodities of up to 20 percent discounted price.
Ten exhibitors participated in the event, namely JT Merchandising, LN Merchandising, Excel School Supply, National Food Authority, Basilan Shopping Center, New Central Square, Isabela School Supply, Daily Budget Marketing, Jeepers Copy Center, and Footstar Trading.
Goods and products at discounted prices sold during the Diskwento Fair include school and office supplies, school shoes and slippers, clothing, canned goods, and selected grocery items, such as milk, sugar, noodles, and laundry, bath soap and others.
The National Food Authority (NFA) also sold good quality NFA rice at P27 a kilo. However, it only allowed two kilos for each consumer to discourage bulk buying from opportunists and to give less-fortunate families to avail themselves of cheap but quality NFA rice..
Tan said that around 441 registered buyers were recorded with average purchase per buyer amounting to P599.21.
“We were overwhelmed by the support of the consumers. We are expected to open at 8:00 a.m. with a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony but have to do away with it because the crowd started buying the goods at 7:00 a.m.,” he said.
He said unlike the previous one, this year’s fair was a success as they were able to manage and control the crowd. Exhibitors participating in the previous fair complained that they had incurred losses due to stolen goods being sneaked out from the busy sales persons.
The Diskwento Fair was initiated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Isabela City in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-9, Isabela City Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (tipc), the city government of Isabela, and the Isabela City police station.