Ona leads safe New Year celebration campaign

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – Health Secretary Enrique Ona is keen on changing the way Filipinos celebrate New Year, and he showed it by joining Bulakenyos in watching a fireworks show on Thursday night.

Ona was at the Bulacan provincial capitol as guest in the ceremonial lighting of a giant Christmas tree highlighted by a 10-minute fireworks display.

“I wish this will serve as the beginning of how we will change the way Filipinos celebrate New Year,” Ona said, referring to the fireworks display.

He said records from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that over 1,000 persons suffered injuries cause by pyrotechnics products every year, and most of the victims were children.

He said that there are other ways of celebrating the holidays, and even if many Filipinos love fireworks and firecrackers, they can still enjoy it by watching a fireworks display.

So far, at least 10 cities in Metro Manila have signified intention to hold a fireworks display in their localities, according to Ona.

With regards to the DOH’s new campaign dubbed as “Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction” (APIR), the Health secretary said it was part of President Aquino’s support to the local industry.

In the past, the DOH used scare tactics like the “Iwas Paputok” campaign, which Bulacan-based Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., (PPMDAI) said was a direct blow to the industry that is regulated by law.

Ona said that the APIR campaign is the new version of the former DOH campaign, which leans towards safety awareness like the PPMDAI’s “Ingat Paputok” campaign.

The PPMDAI said the industry struggled in the past partly due to the old DOH campaign.

“Finally, they listened to us,” said Celso Cruz, PPMDAI president emeritus.

He said the industry can now focus on combating proliferation of smuggled pyrotechnics products that started flooding the market as early November.

Cruz said that for more than 10 years, smuggled pyrotechnics products have increasingly damaged the local industry as the Bureau of Customs failed to stop the smuggling.

Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado said locally manufactured products can’t compete with the prices of smuggled pyrotechnics products.

“How can our local manufacturers compete with smuggled products when they are sold at very low price,” the governor said, nothing that a smuggled product costs P400 while a locally manufactured one costs more than P800.