Barangay execs use loudspeakers in campaign vs firecrackers

MANILA, Philippines – Alarmed by the proliferation of vendors selling firecrackers, officials of Barangay 584 in Sta. Mesa, Manila are using their paging system to remind vendors in the neighborhood about the harmful effects of these firecrackers on children.

“To all the vendors selling firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices, we are prohibiting you from selling them to children,” barangay chairwoman Evelyn Pis-an said, using a loudspeaker. “It’s not just that they could be injured by the explosion, they could also put their hands into their mouth and be poisoned.”

Children lighting firecrackers on the streets are a common sight these days, with only a few days before Christmas Day and New Year.

The Department of Health (DOH) has been discouraging the public against the use of firecrackers in celebrating Christmas and in welcoming the New Year.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that even “legal” firecrackers can cause injuries and there are no guarantees against injuries.

Duque said the seemingly harmless luces can generate heat up to 10 times the boiling point of water.

DOH data showed that the five most harmful firecrackers in last year’s revelry were the piccolo, kwitis, five-star, luces and home-made or altered firecrackers. Kwitis and luces, which are allowed under the law, were the second and fourth on the list of causes of firecracker-related injuries.

Piccolo, an illegal firecracker, was the top cause of injury during the last holiday season. – Cecille Suerte Felipe