BAGUIO CITY – Selling of firecrackers is prohibited in this summer capital for the duration of the Yuletide season.
This was announced by Mayor Mauricio Domogan in a Department of Health led “Iwas Paputok” campaign at the DOH Regional Office here, Tuesday.
Domogan said the city government has not issued any permit for the selling of firecrackers, which clearly means that anyone who will be found selling such items is illegal and can be arrested and his merchandise can be confiscated by police authorities.
He reiterated that using firecracker for Christmas and New Year revelry is not only bad for the environment, with the noise and the air it pollutes, but also endangers the people especially the children.
The mayor appeals for everyone’s support not only on the selling but also on the use of firecrackers for the Christmas and New Year celebration.
On the danger of using firecrackers, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center Emergency Room head Dr. Honorio Pangilinan Jr. reported that four boys aged 9 to 12 already sought medical attention at BGHMC due to firecracker injuries due to piccolo, an illegal type of firecracker.
Dr. Donnabel Tubera of the City Health Services Office, in the same forum, reported that for the 2014 – 2015 Christmas and New Year revelries, 13 cases of firecracker related injuries were recorded in the city mostly due to piccolo. Most of the victims were children.
Aside from the danger of injuries or worse death (as tetanus infection can be fatal), firecrackers also pose health concerns especially to those with asthma. (JDP/CCD – PIA CAR)
