But Filipinos, being innately creative and innovative, have come up with a unique way to fully enjoy the celebrations without fear of becoming part of the growing number of firecracker victims.

Caviteños, particularly from the towns of Rosario, Noveleta, and Kawit, recently came up with a device that they claim is a safer, cheaper, and more effective way to welcome the new year.

Called ‘‘boga’’ or PVC cannon, this is a modern-day version of the bamboo cannon that is filled with denatured alcohol instead of the usual mixture of kalburo (carbon) and water.

Like the bamboo cannon, the boga is ignited through a hole on the upper portion of the tube to produce a booming noise similar to that of a cannon.

Revelers said the noise produced by the boga could rival even the loudest firecracker.

"The mechanism is quite simple," Cromwell Bercasio, a resident of Bacoor, Cavite, said. "It rides on the same premise as the bamboo cannon. The difference is that instead of using carbon, we now use denatured alcohol. And instead of using mosquito coil (katol) to ignite the carbon, we use igniters from electric lighters."

Bercasio explained that the chemical reaction created by the combination of the air pressure, denatured alcohol, and spark from the lighter’s igniter produces a minor explosion from within the PVC pipe’s chambers, resulting in a loud sound.

Enterprising Caviteños have seized the moment as they have started selling finished boga in their shops and in front of their homes. Hardware stores have also dedicated part of their shops its manufacture and marketing.

Some people, like Lando Suyat, a resident of DBBG, Dasmariñas, Cavite, have taken to commissioning the assembly of PVC canons for R150.

"The assembly of a typical bamboo canon takes a bit of time as we try to ensure that our products will be safe to use," Suyat said. "A lot of people approach us with the materials and we do the actual assembling."

Small entrepeneurs like Edna San Juan of Barangay Malagasang 2 said she and her husband take special orders from as far as Mandaluyong City, where their small business is based, while they sell some of their smaller products in front of their home.

"We regularly sell size 2 PVC cannons for R300, while the Size 3 cannons sell for R600," San Diego said. "We take special orders for Size 4 PVC cannons for R1,000."

Juan Miguel Rodriguez of Barangay Malagasang had sold out his bogas two days before New Year’s Day.

He said the product is a hit not only because it is cheaper than popular fireworks such as "sawa," "Judas’ belt," "trianggulo," and "super lolo," but because they are safer.

"The PVC cannon is more user-friendly since the user does not have direct contact with the flammable elements of the boga," he said.

Makers of the boga, however, admitted that its growing popularity had resulted in the sudden increase of the prices of its raw materials.

"The PVC pipes, which were usually sold at a length of three meters, are now being sold at a length of one meter for as much as R85, whereas, the usual price is R156-R190 per three meters, depending on the quality," Suyat said.

"The clean out and seal out which is used as a cover for the bottom part of the canon is now being sold at R45 per piece from its usual price of R30," he added.

The price of denatured alcohol, usually used to fuel outdoor lamps, had also increased from the usual R15-R20 to R30-R35.

Not all hardwares have joined the boga bandwagon though. Gate Town and Kim Sang hardwares along Salitran Road in Dasmariñas have maintained their usual prices but said they are in short supply of raw materials used for making the cannon.

Still, despite the price hikes and dwindling supply of the boga, Caviteños are still proud of their invention, sporting different designs of the cannon and showing off their creativity through their work.

"Some use paint sprays to design their cannons. Some are shaped like bazookas, some like machine guns. It’s a lot of fun to watch people personalize their toys," Mang Nards, a resident of Salitran, said. "The craze has spread to different parts of the province and the people are using recycled materials to create their own designs."

"However, like all products related with fire and alcohol, the use of the product has its risks. If the bottom part is not properly sealed before the ignition, then this may result in a backfire which may injure the user," one of the sellers said. "However, if the user is careful with such things, these minor mishaps may be avoided."