Basic goods supply to stabilize in a month

The supply of basic goods in areas devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda is expected to begin stabilizing in two to four weeks as more businesses resume operations, particularly in Tacloban.

Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo made the assurance following the rollout last week of the Diskwento Caravans in affected areas, offering basic goods at discounted prices.

“Business is starting to come back. Hardware stores just opened and the supply of basic goods should be at 70 percent in two to four weeks as stores are being fixed,” Domingo told the Inquirer.

The DTI brought last week the Diskwento Caravan to six cities in Leyte and Samar, namely, Ormoc, Maasin, Baybay, Calbayog, Catbalogan and Tacloban.

According to DTI Region 7 director Asteria Caberte, six companies—Gardenia, Purefoods, Nestle, Dranix Inc., Unilever and Century Canning Corp.—participated in the Diskwento Caravan, in which basic items like bread, canned goods, processed meat, coffee, milk, detergent bars, soaps, cooking oil, and instant noodles were sold at discounted prices.

Caberte reported that the supply for Diskwento Caravan came from Cebu and were transported via roll-on roll-off (Roro) boats.

She also noted the positive response from the residents who were satisfied with DTI’s initiative to bring supplies to their area.

The DTI is targeting to bring the Diskwento Caravan again in Tacloban City and in Borongan, Eastern Samar, next week. Additional basic necessities and prime commodities like essential medicines, rice and construction materials will be offered in the succeeding caravans in response to the demand of the affected communities.

Meanwhile, the DTI is still considering possible assistance to affected small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Visayas.

“We are trying to see what kind of interventions we can do for SMEs in the affected areas,” Domingo added.

He had disclosed earlier that while they have not yet prepared any special programs for local enterprises, he would be asking government financial institutions such as Small Business Corp., Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines to provide special financial arrangements for local businesses.

Typhoon Yolanda, reportedly the strongest typhoon to hit land, barreled into the country early this month, affecting millions of residents in the Visayas, leaving thousands dead and causing billions of pesos in damage to property, businesses and livelihood.