It’s kind of odd to see a government agency peddling mechandise in areas his by Typhoon Yolanda, even if it’s selling things cheap.
“The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has drawn criticism after the deployment of its Diskwento Caravan mobile stores in typhoon-damaged areas,” reports Ben Arnold O. De Vera on InterAksyon.com.
In a statement, the DTI said the the Diskwento Caravans “aim to give typhoon survivors access to cheaper products.” The mobile store project has been going on for three years.
As DTI Secretary Gregory L. Domingo further explained, “It is a public service conducted by DTI in partnership with big manufacturers and/or distributors. It is also an act of public service by the manufacturers and distributors as most of them do not make money on their Diskwento Caravan activities.”
Unfortunately, many people don’t see it that way. In fact, a CNN iReport contribution titled “Philippine government, selling goods to the victims of super typhoon” really got a lot of people mad. Many asked, “Shouldn’t a government like the DTI be handing these goods out for free to Yolanda victims?”
