Bocaue fireworks rush causes massive traffic jam

GUIGUINTO, Bulacan, Philippines – A long queue of motorists yesterday caused a massive traffic jam at the Bocaue exit of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) as revelers continued to buy firecrackers to welcome the New Year.

NLEX officials said the volume of traffic is expected to become heavier until the late hours today as revelers rush to buy firecrackers to meet the New Year with a bang.

The traffic volume at the NLEX would be heavier with the expected influx of motorists coming home to Metro Manila after the long holidays, officials stressed.

Benigno Valles, senior manager for corporate communications of the Tollways Management Group (TMG) of the NLEX, said the toll way exit going to Bocaue town had been their “critical concern” because of the heavy volume of motorists buying firecrackers.

Valles said vehicles have occupied at least 300 meters of the Bocaue exit ramp in going to Barangay Turo where firecrackers have been put on display.

He said they are expecting the same scene today when revelers make a last minute shopping rush for pyrotechnics.

To address the slow traffic flow, Valles said the TMC has deployed several traffic marshals and patrol vehicles to supervise the Bocaue exit.

The Bulacan provincial police, along with paramedics and firemen, have been deployed along the firecracker stores and displays in Barangay Turo.

Authorities have been strict in implementing safety rules in the sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

Among the prohibited pyrotechnics are oversized firecrackers such as lolo thunder, super lolo, bawang, pla-pla, watusi, og, atomic bomb, piccolo, and goodbye Philippines.

Local government units also passed ordinances banning the sale of these firecrackers.

In Zamboanga City, for instance, Mayor Celso Lobregat issued an order including piccolo in the list of banned firecrackers.

Democratic Independent Workers’ Association (DIWA) party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay pushed for harsh penalties for illegal manufacturers of powerful firecrackers that included life imprisonment and P500,000 fine.

Aglipay also suggested those found guilty of selling illegally manufactured and substandard firecrackers should also be jailed for a minimum of three months plus community service to include cleaning up the streets after the New Year revelry.

“We should celebrate the New Year with a bang not with injured hands or missing fingers and body parts,” Aglipay said.

Health officials also made a last-ditch effort to discourage the public from using firecrackers and guns to welcome the New Year.

Dr. Eric Tayag, director for National Epidemiology Center (NEC) of the Department of Health, said that losing a limb or a life to welcome 2011 by using firecrackers and guns is not worth it.

“If we really want our New Year to be merry and prosperous, we should celebrate in a safe way. We know the risks of using firecrackers so we should avoid them,” Tayag said.

Tayag suggested revelers could use well-made horns and other noise-making devices to celebrate the New Year.

The NEC reported that from Dec. 21 to 30, a total of 216 people have been injured from firecracker blasts. Eighteen of them have suffered amputations while 33 sustained eye injuries caused by piccolo and boga, an improvised cannon made from PVC pipes.

Tayag said the number of piccolo-related injuries declined, but not enough to reverse the projection that there would be some 1,000 fireworks-related injuries in today’s revelry.

The use of piccolo accounted for 165 of the 216 cases of firecracker injuries. There were four cases of poisoning from piccolo ingestion.

The NEC also registered eight cases of injuries from stray bullets.

The youngest victim was 11 years old while the oldest was 30 years old. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Ding Cervantes, Paolo Romero, Roel Pareño