A safe farewell to 2006

As we count the days to 2007, let’s not lose sight of certain basic rules to go by. The DOH cannot emphasize enough the dangers of pyrotechnics. No offense to the Chinese but the authorities are zeroing in on huge quantities of fireworks, the quality of which do not meet the standards we have set for these products, and these reportedly were smuggled from China. By now, these fireworks are well on their way to Divisoria, or must be lining the makeshift stalls along the roads and even in exclusive subdivisions where enterprising members of the household hope to earn extra bucks this season.

Beware! These products can be potentially lethal if not handled properly. They are highly volatile, and accidents that happen from their misuse, are usually not limited to simple burns in the hands, though these injuries can be fatal (read: tetanus or blood poisoning). Explosions from pyrotechnics can cause considerable damage to property, and multiple losses of lives. How many warehouses or factories in Bocaue, Bulacan, home of local pyrotechnics have gone up in flames before they could even unload their products in the market? The innocuous looking watusi, which I allowed my own kids to play with when they were younger, can in fact, be toxic. Watusi poisoning claims lives of the innocent, because they unfortunately look very safe and innocent as well. Beware please, especially with the very young children.When swallowed, this can cause very painful death.

Yes, when we were young, part of the New Year celebration was the booming household cannons. We used to fashion them out of sturdy bamboo, and the resonant sound could be heard for several blocks around the neighborhood. Every street in the neighborhood would have one or two of these contraptions, and it was always a contest on who made the sturdiest and noisiest bamboo cannon. Strange how minimal the accidents that resulted from these bamboo cannons were in our time. They were generally considered relatively safe.

Now, they make their cannons from PVC pipes. It’s not even New Year’s Eve yet and we have at least 25 reported cases of injuries related to these PVC cannons, and most of them are eye injuries. Why? Because the users dare look into the pipes when these misfire! And because in some cases the cannon just had a delayed reaction, imagine the damage to the eye that these "brave" souls stand to get when their eyes run smack right into the exploding cannon. Unbelievable how unthinking these people can get! And still in some cases, the merry makers want their volley of fire faster, with less waiting time in between. So, even before the smoke clears, they want to fire the next round. Since the smoke clouds their vision, these merry makers blow into the hole, and in some cases, the residual firepower is activated, and accidents happen.

I’ve had my share of these cheap thrills in my youth. Year in and year out, we would flirt with the dangers of firecrackers, the bigger and more lethal the better. We strung the "Sinturon ni Hudas" around tree branches, exploded "Bawangs", lined up fountains in double rows and lit them simultaneously. Some neighbors even burned old tires in the middle of the streets. At this stage in our lives, we correlate all these to environmental damage and health hazards. The black smoke emitted by those burning tires must have wreaked havoc in our lungs back then. And the tell-tale black smudges from the tissue or handkerchief we use to wipe our face and nose at the end of the all-night revelry tell us how many pollutants we must have inhaled all night long.

No matter how we caution our children, they will still long for the thrills that these pyrotechnics bring. The DOH has been repeatedly warning the public about the dangers we face if we allow our children to recklessly play with these firecrackers. The PNP too has been dead serious about their campaign to totally eliminate indiscriminate firing of weapons during New Year’s Eve. I must admit that they have had some success here. Years back, there was just too much of this, so much that there was no respite for minutes on end of live ammunition. Now, we have a smattering of this, from souls so irresponsible they refuse to yield to reason. The muzzling of the guns of the members of the PNP and the military might be ceremonial at best, but the message of the top brass comes loud and clear — erring policemen (and military men) will be prosecuted.

Because of my fear of stray bullets finding themselves into our home, I have resorted to checking into comfortable hotels for about three days, checking out on New Year’s Day when the revelry has died down. I must admit that, notwithstanding the long buffets of food and the music the hotel offers, the traditional merrymaking of New Year’s Eve mellows under such setting. Still, erring on the side of caution has always been my trademark. Those bullets can’t fall through slabs of cement roofing several floors down.

Now that we have been making considerable progress in at least minimizing the dangers of stray bullets on New Year’s Eve, I have stopped turning a deaf ear to my kids’ plea not to check in for the holidays. For a couple of years now, we have been greeting the New Year with a delectable dinner buffet at the Palms Country Club that premiere Club in the South. This year, Palms will have the music of the Fat Session. If the tradition continues, they will have slabs and slabs of prime rib roast, lamb chops, a selection of fresh salads and breads, sushis and sashimis and tempuras, and all the goodies you can think of. GM Mr. Urs will be there dancing to the music of the Fat Session, and about ten or fifteen minutes before midnight, there will be a grand display of fireworks. They are preparing for about five hundred guests on New Year’s Eve, and by this time they must be close to selling out. These affairs are always well attended, and the management and staff of Palms Country Club are always on the ball. Tickets are at P2,000 plus per person, inclusive of taxes.

Things are looking up for 2007. If it is any indication, Valle Verde Country Club had about P6M worth of Christmas parties at the Club, a vindication of the two or three bad years they had before this. If the company Christmas parties are back and these corporations are willing to spend for these parties, they must have had a good year. Here’s hoping it stretches well into the next few years and not just for 2007, as some Chinese friends surmise. Let’s think positive. There is no way to go but up.

A prosperous, meaningful and healthy New Year to all.

Mabuhay! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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