MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DoH) is projecting the number of fireworks-related injuries to rise to at least 900 between Wednesday and New Year’s Day based on statistics which showed 173 people injured from December 21 until Tuesday afternoon.

Citing DoH surveillance records, health officials said they are worried over the escalating number of victims – a huge number of them children below 10 years old or 43 percent of the total number of firecracker victims.

This year, health officials are focusing their campaign on parents to discourage their children from lighting up firecrackers.

“It is very important for families to be careful and as much as possible, not to use fireworks because instead of merriment, they may encounter accidents affecting their children or any of their family members…I wish we could all enjoy the New year’s eve instead of sending someone to the hospital,” DoH Secretary Enrique T. Ona said at Tuesday’s press conference.

As of December 28, the total figures are 45 percent higher than the previous five years average from 2005 to 2009 although it is 24 cases or 12 percent lower than last year’s average.

The breakdown of figures is as follows: 162 injuries were caused by firecrackers and fireworks explosions, six by stray bullets; and five by fireworks ingestion.

Ona showed a graph that portrayed the spike of cases last year between December 24, 25 and 26 that dramatically went down afterwards and went up again on the 30th and peaked on December 31.

“This is our last pitch to parents… It seems that the public is happier now and we are thinking that maybe there would be more people who would use firecrackers,” Ona said.

DoH Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa said statistics show that males below 14 years old seem to display ‘risky behaviors’ when it comes to handling of firecrackers. This age group, he said, was the one mostly injured by firecrackers.

“They would throw Piccolo at each other not knowing that it could cause fire or damage to other people,” Herbosa said. “This is why the DoH is warning parents who have teenage sons who may display risky behaviors.”

Herbosa also warned adults noting that many of them would drink and drive.

The DoH official said the 173 cases were all ‘preventable injuries.’

Health authorities said one-third of the injured were bystanders who were merely watching the active handlers of firecrackers.
Ona disclosed that the leading kind of firecracker that caused the most number of injuries is Piccolo at 83 cases followed by Kwitis at 15. ‘Five-star’ is third with 13 cases; whistle bomb at eight, boga at 8 and Triangle at 7.

While the DoH is espousing the use of alternative noisemakers like the ‘Torotot’ , it also advised manufacturers of ‘torotot’ to ensure the quality of its products following two accidents involving children three and eight years old who accidentally ingested the whistle inside the ‘Torotot’.

Malacañang urged the public to take the campaign of the DoH against firecrackers seriously now that firecracker-related injuries reportedly are on the rise.

Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte asked the public to be safe in celebrating the New Year noting the reported rise in the number of firecracker-related injuries.

“Huwag magpaputok nitong darating na bagong taon dahil marami na as of today there are I think 173 cases of firecracker related injuries (Don't light firecrackers this New Year),” Valte said in a press briefing.

She urged parents to be watchful of their children who might play with firecrackers.

“Sa mga magulang, bantayan po ang mga anak natin sana hindi tayo magdiwang ng bagong taon sa ospital (To the parent, please be watchful of your children so you will not have to celebrate new year in the hospitals),” Valte said.

“Sa ating mga kababayan huwag na tayo magpaputok mahirap naman sa bagong taon sa ospital tayo papasok (To our countrymen, please avoid using firecrackers for your own good),” she added.

Miriam: Ban ’crackers in residential areas

Meanwhile, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is pushing for a total ban of firecrackers in residential areas.

In Senate Bill 1523, the Total Ban in Residential Areas Act, Santiago said the local government units would be mandated to designate firecracker and pyrotechnic zones which should be not less than 200 meters away from residential areas and that there should be only one area in each barangay.

In her explanatory note, Santiago stated the dangers posed by firecrackers not only to public safety but also to public health, adding that they also caused injuries and even death aside from destruction to property in the event of a fire triggered by firecracker accidents.

She said those who will be found violating this law, when enacted, will be facing six to ten months of imprisonment and a fine ranging from P10,000 to P50,000.

The bill also tasks the Philippine National Police to prepare the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) by coordinatimg with the LGUs and firecrackers and pyrotechnic industry.

PCG seizes 3 boxes of firecrackers

Three boxes of illegal firecrackers were seized by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) while conducting pre-departure inspection inside a passenger shipping vessel at the Cebu Port Tuesday.

Lieutenant Commander Armando Balilo, Coast Guard Public Affairs chief and deputy chief of staff for community relations, said a team from the PCG K-9 Unit was doing mandatory pre-departure inspection inside M/V Nelfa, bound for Daram, Samar, when the firecrackers were intercepted.

Balilo said the Coast Guard Station-Cebu confiscated three big boxes of firecrackers without pertinent documents.

Transporting such items necessitate a permit to carry dangerous/hazardous cargo.

“Actually, the shipment was not covered with any corresponding transport permit supposedly from the either the PNP or from our K-9 Unit in Cebu”, Balilo said. (With reports by Rolly T. Carandang, JC Bello Ruiz, and John Carlo M. Cahinhinan)