ILOILO City – The city government won’t hold a community fireworks display to welcome the New Year.
It is instead encouraging residents to use torotot, musical instruments and other sound-generating contraptions to safely usher in the year 2023 with celebratory noise, said Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu.
He also reminded the public that lighting of firecrackers and fireworks are prohibited in residential areas, near factories and other areas that are combustible.
To enforce the prohibition, a team from the PSTMO and personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine National Police will conduct roving patrol on Dec. 31, New Year’s eve.
Conlu admitted this would be a tough challenge but he said violators would be apprehended and penalized.
Citing PSTMO’s recent monitoring, Conlu said the sale of firecrackers was not brisk but he projected a surge in demand on New Year’s eve.
The city government issued 81 permits for the sale of firecrackers – 36 in Jaro district and 45 in Arevalo.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas’ Executive Order (EO) No. 107-2022 identified only three areas where firecracker and pyrotechnic vendors can display and sell their products from Dec. 1 to 31.
These are the following:
* Circumferential Road C1 (corner Jocson Street) in Arevalo
* C1 Road – corner of the East Coast Iloilo-Capiz Road and Circumferential Road in Jaro district (along Ondoy’s Sugbahan)
* Muelle Loney Street (along Riverside, in front of Muelley Loney’s statue) in City Proper district
The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas keeps on reminding the public to refrain from lighting firecrackers to celebrate the New Year.
“DOH is advocating for alternative New Year celebrations. Use musical instruments, sound systems, cooking utensils and other items that could create celebratory noise safely. Let us celebrate with 10 complete fingers,” said Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, OIC-chief of DOH Region 6’s Local Health Support Division.
Banned are firecrackers that are overweight in terms of net explosive ingredients and oversized such as “atomic big triangulo”, “super lolo” and giant whistle bomb.
Also disallowed are items with short fuse and made of sulphur and/or phosphorous mixed with chlorates as well as imported finished products and unlabeled locally-made products.
Firecrackers considered small in size like “watusi” and “piccolo” are also strictly prohibited for causing injuries to the public, especially children.
On the other hand, the sale and use of consumer pyrotechnics or those referred to as “pailaw” such as “butterfly”, “fountain”, “luces”, Roman candle, and sparklers, may still be allowed. (With reports from PNA)/PN
