City to cancel their business permits

CEBU, Philippines - If sellers of fireworks will not heed their advice, the Cebu City Government through the City Treasurer’s Office will revoke business permits of sellers operating inside commercial establishments.

The sale of firecrackers or pyrotechnic devices is prohibited inside malls as stipulated under an existing law, said City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas, and for this reason, the city government intends to regulate the sale and distribution of fireworks in these public areas for safety.

“We can revoke (their business permits) but we have to inform them (sellers) first… We can revoke it since it is stipulated (under the law),” Cuevas said, referring to Republic Act 7183 or “An Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and other Pyrotechnic Devices.”

“Fireworks and pyrotechnic devices found in malls shall be deemed illegally manufactured and shall be subject to confiscation,” Cuevas said, citing the national law.

Also provided under the joint memorandum circular dated December 4, 2014, “all malls and other similar establishments shall not be utilized as display centers for selling of firecrackers and pyrotechnics unless done through media presentation or other means without necessarily displaying the said firecrackers therein."

In place of shopping malls, the city government has designated an open space at the South Road Properties as the authorized display center of fireworks or the "Firecracker and Pyrotechnic Zone."

The initiative surfaced after a collaborative meeting yesterday with the city’s Prevention Restoration Order Beautification and Enhancement team and other concerned officials at City Hall.

“We had a meeting (and decided) the first move is to talk to them (firework traders inside malls) first. We can’t directly (confiscate). After that, we will be calling the attention of the mall managements,” said Cuevas. — (FREEMAN)