ILOILO City – Two days before New Year’s Eve the number of fireworks-related injuries in Western Visayas rose to 20, according to the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday.
Most of the cases were in the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental – six each.
According to Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, DOH Region 6 coordinator for the Violence and Injury Prevention Program, most of the victims were teenage boys who played with boga (improvised PVC cannon) and camara.
Some sustained eye injuries while others suffered from dislocated fingers, she added.
“We are encouraging the public to welcome the New Year safely by using torotot (horns) and other alternative noisemakers,” said Sta. Lucia.
She also urged local government units to designate areas where firecrackers could be sold and where the police could easily check them and their permits.
DOH Region 6 started monitoring cases of firecracker blasts on Dec. 21.
In 2017, Western Visayas recorded 98 fireworks-related injuries – 62 percent lower than the 164 cases recorded in 2016.
The monitoring will continue until Jan. 5, 2019.
Executive Order 28 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte regulates the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.
“Bawal magpalupok sa residential area kag sa highly-populated areas. Gina-warning-ngan naton ang aton mga pumuluyo,” said Sta. Lucia.
The President specifically confined the use of firecrackers to community fireworks display.
“(There) continues to be a substantial number of firecracker-related injuries, even casualties, every year, some involving bystanders,” part of the EO read.
Due to firecracker-related injuries and deaths, “the promulgation of stricter national standards, rules and regulations is warranted,” it stressed.
According to the Order, a community fireworks display must be “conducted under the supervision of a trained person duly licensed by the Philippine National Police.”
It should also be “allowed by the municipality/city concerned through a permit specifying the date and time of fireworks display and the specific area in which the display will be conducted, in conformity with national standards, rules and regulations.”
Helping DOH-6 in the Iwas Paputok campaign are the local government units, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
The mainstream and social media also helped raise public awareness on the dangers of firecrackers, Sta. Lucia added.
Chief Inspector Christopher Regencia of BFP Iloilo City, the city fire marshal, said people must not patronize firecrackers that have been specifically banned due to the enormous risks they pose.
Among these banned firecrackers are piccolo, super lolo, pla-pla, Goodbye Philippines, and watusi. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
