The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided some internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Marawi City with 50 stalls at Diyandi Fiesta Park located in Barangay Tipanoy, Iligan City.
Being the head of Task Force Bangon Marawi sub-committee on Business and Livelihood, DTI aims to provide space for the IDPs who are interested to earn a living by selling goods. Overall, there are 200 stalls built in the fiesta park. Fifty of which are intended for the IDPs. As part of its provision of livelihood assistance to the IDPs, the rental fee for the stalls was paid by DTI. Furthermore, the 50 stalls can accommodate 100 entrepreneurs in total which the IDPs can sell malong (traditional “tube skirt” made of handoven or machine-made multi-colored cotton cloth, bearing a variet of geometric or okir designs), baur (Maranaw wooden chest with mother of pearl inlay), food, brassware and other products. Ruel Paclipan, provincial director of DTI Lanao del Norte, encouraged the Iliganons and tourists to visit the park and to support the Iliganon products as well as the products of IDPs.
“We request your support because this time they need your help so that they can have income,” said Paclipan.
Diyandi Fiesta Park will be opened until October 15 as part of the month-long city fiesta celebration of Iligan known as the Diyandi Festival – a commemoration of the city’s patron saint, Saint Michael The Archangel. | PIA
