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ILOILO – People should find other means to celebrate the holidays without using firecrackers.
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) is proposing a firecracker ban throughout the province this holiday season.
According to Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado, they plan to urge the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass an ordinance on the prohibition.
To further dissuade Ilonggos from setting off firecrackers, Trabado said, PHO will also be resorting to a “scare campaign.” Photos or posters of physical injuries caused by firecrackers will be distributed throughout the province.
Filipinos traditionally welcome the New Year by setting off firecrackers. The louder the bang, the better, so they usually seek out the largest firecrackers. But these humongous firecrackers are dangerous, and the revelries begin even before Christmas Day.
Trabado also encouraged local government units to conduct advocacy campaigns against the use of firecrackers.
The Department of Health Region 6 actually observed a downward trend in cases of firecracker-related injuries in recent years.
From 249 cases in 2014, only 164 persons were reported injured from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan. 2, 2016, DOH-6 records showed. There was a decrease of 34 percent compared to the figures recorded a year ago.
When he was the mayor of Davao City, President Rodrigo Duterte banned firecrackers in the southern city. December last year, he said he planned to replicate this in the rest of the Philippines if elected president.
Last week, however, the President indicated he was not keen on imposing a nationwide ban on firecrackers because of its adverse economic implications, specifically the loss of jobs of thousands employed in the firecracker industry.
According to Presidential Communications secretary Martin Andanar, the President instead ordered his Cabinet to revise the draft Executive Order (EO) that would limit the use of firecrackers or pyrotechnics.
“The concerned agencies will look into the proposal to regulate pyrotechnics to mitigate the possible loss of jobs and at the same time enable traditional celebration of festivities,” said Andanar.
Health secretary Paulyn Ubial said DOH has been firm on its position that it would limit the use and possession of firecrackers or pyrotechnics.
“The controlled and supervised display and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics, that is still what we advocate,” Ubial said. (With a report from the Philippine Information Agency/PN)
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