IN A FEW days we’ll be welcoming New Year 2022. Here’s one good thing you can do: cancel planned fireworks shows and redirect the money saved to help the victims of deadly and destructive Super Typhoon Odette which battered parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.
As the trail of wanton destruction caused by Odette becomes more evident, we are called to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of people left homeless and hungry and in despair. So instead of igniting firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices, which can cause health and environmental effects, why not lend a hand to the calamity survivors who clamor for food, water, electricity and other essentials?
Post-Odette bayanihan will bring a sparkle of hope to families whose lives and dreams were shattered by the pre-Christmas typhoon. The money saved from canceling planned fireworks displays can be used to augment ongoing disaster response efforts, including providing survivors with Media Noche salo-salo packs, water, hygiene kits, blankets and sleeping mats, fuel for generator sets, housing materials, farming and fishing tools, or startup capital for micro-business.
The reduced consumption of firecrackers and fireworks will also contribute to a healthier and safer environment (chemical and waste pollution are associated with the production, use and disposal of such items). Yes, lighting firecrackers and fireworks emits loads of toxic gases and pollutants to the environment causing poor air quality in a short period of time, which can weaken the immune system’s function and put a person at a higher risk of respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Exposure to toxic pollutants emitted from the bursting of firecrackers and fireworks is dangerous to everyone, especially to the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, including those afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart problems, diabetes and other illnesses, as they tend to develop more severe symptoms of COVID-19.
So yes, instead of spending money for firecrackers and fireworks, this is better used to augment disaster relief and assistance for the survivors of Typhoon Odette and other destructive calamities.
