ILOILO City – There must be a better strategy to combat the manufacture and sale of illegal firecrackers to further reduce injuries during the holiday season, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.
Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, Violence and Injury Prevention Program coordinator of DOH-6, observed that many people still played with banned firecrackers identified in Republic Act 7183.
“I’m thinking nga ma-come up kita sang stronger strategy sa diin i-enforce ang law,” said Sta. Lucia.
On Jan. 3, she reached out to the Police Regional Office 6 for this.
Under Republic Act No. 7183, only the following firecrackers are allowed: Baby Rocket, Bawang, Small Triangulo, Pulling of Strings, Paper Caps, El Diablo, Watusi, Juda’s Belt, and Sky Rocket (kwitis).
For pyrotechnic devices, only the following are allowed: Sparklers, Luces, Fountain, Jubo regular and special, Mabuhay, Roman Candle, Trompillo, Airwolf, Whistle device, Butterfly, and “pailaw”.
According to DOH-6, Negros Occidental province and Bacolod City recorded the most number of firecracker-related injuries in the region during the recent holiday season, specifically between Dec. 21, 2018 and Jan. 2, 2019.
There were 67 cases in the region, broken down as follows:
* Negros Occidental – 18
* Bacolod City – 12
* Iloilo – 10
* Capiz – nine
* Iloilo City – eight
* Aklan – six
* Guimaras – three
* Antique – one
Sta. Lucia said most of the injured were children between six to 15 years old and most of their injuries were in the hands and eyes./PN
