BOCAUE, Bulacan, Philippines — Sales of fireworks have reportedly dropped by as much as 70 percent apparently due to the strict regulation on the use of firecrackers, traders here claimed.
Police Deputy Director General Fernando Mendez Jr., a native of San Miguel, Bulacan, said fireworks makers informed him that sales have gone down by an average of 50 to 70 percent.
Fireworks stakeholders lamented that in the years past, by this time there would be heavy traffic along Gov. Halili Avenue and MacArthur Highway in Bocaue due to the deluge of buyers from Metro Manila and nearby areas preparing for the New Year’s Eve celebration.
Mendez was also informed that the drop in sales this year is also due to the apprehension of fireworks enthusiasts over the government regulation on the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics.
Among the best selling fireworks are kwitis, sawa and five star, however, these items are only allowed to be used in community fireworks display areas.
Fireworks stakeholders noted that until now, majority of the community fireworks display areas have not yet been announced and the uncertainty has prevented the public from buying legitimate firecrackers because they don’t know where to use the fireworks.
Five more persons were injured from firecracker blasts but the Department of Health (DOH) remains hopeful that there will be fewer injuries this year.
Based on a report prepared by DOH Epidemiology Bureau, there were 77 firecracker-related injuries documented in 50 sentinel sites nationwide since Dec. 21. This is 54 cases lower compared to the same period in 2016.
Piccolo remains the leading cause of injuries, accounting for 49 cases; followed by boga with six cases; kwitis with four cases; whistle bomb with three cases and luces and sparklers with two each.
Four of the cases sustained amputation while 12 had eye injuries. The DOH has not recorded any case of fireworks ingestion or stray bullet injury.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said they were hopeful that they will see lesser firecracker injuries this year because of the firecracker ban being imposed by the government.
“I hope that the public will come to realize that they should not risk losing a limb or even life by using firecrackers. It’s really not worth it. There are other ways to celebrate the New Year,” Duque added.
Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Bulacan police director, said six persons were caught illegally manufacturing firecrackers in the region and 13 cases have been filed for violating RA 7183 or the Firecracker Law.
Seven of those facing charges were individuals identified as working in the illegal fireworks factories but they were able to elude arrest during the police raid, Caramat added.
Among the illegal firecrackers seized were Goodbye Isis, Goodbye Maute, ginat bawang, giant whistle bombs, pla-pla and piccolo.
Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, said the confiscated illegal firecrackers will be disposed at Crow Valley in Tarlac.
Safety standards
The fireworks manufacturers and wholesalers in Bulacan have passed safety standards, according to inspectors from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III reported yesterday that the pyrotechnic firms passed the “occupational safety and health inspections” conducted by DOLE compliance officers in Bulacan, the country’s fireworks capital.
Citing the report of DOLE regional office for Central Luzon, Bello noted that 61 of the 67 establishments inspected in Bocaue were compliant with the safety standards.
Bello added that some establishments that failed to comply with regulations were allowed to correct their deficiencies, such as having more than two sellers and the use of stores as sleeping quarters.
In Bocaue and Sta. Maria, Bulacan alone, there are 152 pyrotechnic establishments.
Joven Ong, president of the Philippine Fireworks Association, said that they are appealing to local government units not to ban the use of pyrotechnics “as this will lead people to use illegal firecrackers instead of safer pyrotechnics. It will likewise lead to higher incidences of illegal discharge of guns.”
Ong said what the LGUs should do is “to stop sari-sari stores in their areas from selling piccolo to children,” citing that majority of fireworks-related injuries are caused by this product.
At least seven persons were injured by exploding firecrackers in Cagayan Valley, the DOH reported yesterday.
Traders arrested
Police arrested three Chinese traders who yielded 15 boxes of assorted firecrackers worth P500,000 in an entrapment operation in San Pablo City on Friday afternoon.
Charges were filed before the city prosecutor’s office against Qingzhong Chen, 34; Zeny Yang Ong, 30 and Chen Yanyan, 37, all Chinese nationals, according to Senior Supt. Cecilio Ison, Laguna police director. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Ed Amoroso, Victor Martin