BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Health (DoH) has called for a total ban on firecrackers and other related devices to ensure public safety during the New Year's Eve revelry Thursday night.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Congress should work towards the imposition of a total ban on these dangerous devices which have killed or hurt hundreds of people in the past.

“We are one in strongly supporting the position to ban the use of firecrackers and other dangerous pyrotechnic devices. This should be looked at by the legislators,” he told a press briefing at the Mansion House in this City of Pines.

He said the approach should be “comprehensive because we should be ready to absorb people who will be out of jobs,” referring to workers engaged in the manufacture of pyrotechnic
devices.

Duque said the number of fireworks victims nationwide decreased from 137 during the last day of 2007 to 128 during New Year’s Eve in 2008.

He said the DoH has not recorded cases of “watusi” poisoning so far this year compared to recent years when a large number of children were victimized.

He said most fireworks victims were men who didn’t heed the government's warning on using dangerous firecrackers.

Of the 128 fireworks victims, 103 were men with a median age of 10 years.

"We are prepared for the celebrations of New Year's Eve. I'm crossing my fingers that there will be a decrease in the number of cases of fireworks-related injuries," Duque said.

"We are appealing to the parents or the guardians of youngsters to advise them not to use firecrackers and other related devices," he added.

Relatedly, Sen. Loren Legarda urged Filipinos Tuesday to safely usher in the New Year by refraining from using firecrackers and sparklers, the cause of countless deaths and maiming during the annual revelry.

Legarda noted with dismay that the DoH’s zero-accident target for 2009 had already become unattainable with a serious pyrotechnics-related accident in General Santos City on Christmas Day.

“Three people died from the accident in GenSan, which should once again remind us of the dangers associated with using, selling or even just being near firecrackers,” said Legarda.

The senator pointed out that firecrackers not only maim, but also cause fires, like the one that gutted several makeshift establishments selling firecrackers at the Oval Plaza in General Santos City.

The fatalities in the accident were identified by the police as Marivic Castillo, 25, and April Reyson Arangat, 23, who were both burned beyond recognition; and store helper Arlene Arnaiz, 28, who lost one leg and later died in a hospital.