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[av_heading heading=’DOH: ‘TOROTOT’ IS BETTER BUT… Community fireworks display also an alternative’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
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ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas presses for safer ways to celebrate the New Year such as using torotot (party horns), musical instruments or any object that creates celebratory noise.
But if Ilonggos cannot break from the hazardous tradition of lighting firecrackers, DOH bats for the conduct of community fireworks display as a strategy to at least minimize cases of firecracker-related injuries.
According to Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, coordinator for the Violence and Injury Prevention Program of DOH Region 6, local government units must consider the following when holding community fireworks display:
* population within the fireworks display area
* provision of emergency medical staff and equipment including standby ambulance with ambulance crew and other logistics
* safe distance from establishments with highly flammable materials
* reasonable distance from residential and school buildings
“There must be an area designated by the local government unit for the conduct of the community fireworks display and there must a safety officer from the Bureau of Fire Protection or from the Philippine National Police,” said Sta. Lucia.
Executive Order 28 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte stipulates that the use of firecrackers shall be confined to community fireworks display to minimize the risk of injuries and casualties.
In this city, however, Mayor Jose Espinosa III said he was not keen on holding a city government-sponsored community fireworks display to welcome the New Year.
Aside from it being expensive, by tradition Filipinos have to be in their homes by midnight to welcome the New Year, he explained.
Still, Espinosa came out with an executive order designating the public plazas of seven districts (City Proper, La Paz, Lapuz, Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo, and Arevalo) as common areas where people can have fireworks displays or light firecrackers. The city government prohibits this in backyards or front yards of residences.
DOH-6 is enjoining all sectors to support its “Oplan: Iwas Paputok” campaign to minimize if not totally eradicate firecracker-related injuries this holiday season.
“Let us celebrate New Year in a happy and complete way – that is, with complete hands, fingers and feet,” said Sta. Lucia.
Iloilo residents interviewed by the government-owned Philippine Information Agency appeared generally supportive of the ban on the use of firecrackers in households.
Imee Tantiado, a government employee and mother from Tigbauan, Iloilo, said it is better to prohibit the use firecrackers especially if there are children in the house.
“My priority is their safety. It is better to instill in them at an early age that firecrackers are not safe,” she said.
Tantiado said her family had never used firecrackers to celebrate the holidays.
“We only use torotot and sparklers,” she said.
Robert John Eliab, a university faculty from Miag-ao, Iloilo, said firecrackers must be banned because of their ill-effects to human health and the environment.
“So we could also avoid injuries during the New Year celebration,” he said.
Kimberly Anne Pasquin, an entrepreneur from Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, said firecrackers do not have any positive effect to people aside from entertainment.
“Firecrackers are the main causes of injuries during this season so it is better not to use them,” she said.
DOH-6 has so far recorded 10 persons injured in firecracker blasts.
Four of the victims were from Iloilo province and specifically from the municipalities of Cabatuan, Calinog, Balasan, and Bingawan.
“Most of the victims were young. One was six years old and there was a nine-year-old, too,” said Sta. Lucia.
DOH-6 started monitoring firecracker-related incidents on Dec. 21. It recorded one case each in Roxas City and Guimaras, and two cases each in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental (Talisay City and Cauayan town).
The first case was recorded on Dec. 23. The victim was from Guimaras.
Sta. Lucia described those injured as “active victims.” They lit the firecrackers and got injured in the process, she explained.
Firecrackers the victims lit were piccolo, boga and whistle bomb, she said. (With a report from the Philippine Information Agency)/PN
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