Firecracker injuries increase to 139

MANILA, Philippines - Firecracker injuries continued to mount, with 139 fireworks-related injuries, most of them caused by piccolo, recorded from Dec. 21 to 29.

The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reiterated its call to parents to prevent children from playing with any type of fireworks during the New Year’s Eve revelry.

Of the total, 51 cases were children below 10 years old while 102 victims were active users of firecrackers.

Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin said that the firecracker injures could be treated and would eventually heal, “but not the damage on our children’s future brought about by a few minutes of merrymaking.”

“We can celebrate the holiday season without fireworks. Let us greet the New Year without injuries,” she added.

Data show that the 139 cases is 39 percent lower than the five-year average and 45 percent lower compared to the same period last year. No death was reported.

Most of the cases came from the National Capital Region (NCR) at 51, followed by Northern Mindanao with 12, Davao region, 11 and Cagayan Valley, 10.

In NCR, Manila has the most number of cases (22), followed by Pasig (10) while Las Piñas, Mandaluyong and Pasay had three cases each.

The Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported 46 firecracker explosion injuries as of Sunday.

Based on data from the PHO’s fireworks-related injury surveillance, injuries include one caused by a stray bullet.

The monitoring is part of the health agency’s Aksyon Paputok Injury Reduction.

Records showed that most of the injuries were caused by piccolo with 27 cases and five caused by boga, an improvised cannon.

A PHO official said most of the victims suffered hand injuries.

The figure is higher compared to the 27 cases recorded last year for the same period.

The injured victims in Pangasinan included a seven-year-old boy and two teenagers hospitalized for injuries in separate firecracker explosions in Tayug.

The Pangasinan Provincial Police Office reported yesterday that Rizaldy Almeron, 7, of Barangay Sto. Domingo, picked up an unexploded firecracker outside his house that exploded and injured his right hand.

Police said Don Don Piddo, 15, of Barangay C picked up a lighted 5-star firecracker in the family compound and it exploded in his left hand.

Ogma Lopez, 14, of Barangay Carriedo lighted a piccolo that exploded in his left hand.

The three boys were treated at the Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital.

Police stations in Pangasinan have waged the battle against firecrackers for the New Year’s Eve revelry by using the local police’s Facebook page to remind netizens to stop using illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.

Fireworks stores closed

Police closed two firecracker stores while nine persons, mostly teenagers, were placed under custody for several violations of pyrotechnics rules during an inspection yesterday of fireworks dealers in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Director Melito Mabilin, chief of the Civil Security Group (CSG) of the Philippine National Police, led the inspection on about 20 stalls of firecrackers in Barangay Turo.

Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao, chief of the Explosives Division of the CSG, found several violations of the stalls of Diamond Fireworks and ARF Fireworks, particularly storing a quantity of explosives beyond what was prescribed by Republic Act 7183 or the pyrotechnics law.

The owners were not around during the inspection.

Bulacan policemen are also monitoring fireworks stalls in the towns of Bocaue and Sta. Maria, both in Bulacan, following reports that illegal items would proliferate in local stores as New Year’s Eve nears.

Chief Superintendent Ronald Santos, officer-in-charge of Police Regional Office 3, ordered Bulacan police director Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Divina to intensify the crackdown on illegal firecrackers.

He said that law enforcers are looking for smuggled firecrackers and other illegal pyrotechnics.

Santos said the Bocaue police seized several oversized firecrackers in different stores.

The police arrested a manufacturer of illegal fireworks and seized oversized firecrackers.

Investigators said the arrested suspect was identified as Jason Ochoa of Navotas City.

Recovered from Ochoa were 40 pieces of atomic bomb and two sacks of pla-pla.

Three men were arrested yesterday selling illegal firecrackers in San Fernando, La Union.

Superintendent Julius Suriben, the city police chief, said Bernard Dy, Rodwyne Borja and Noel Robosa were caught selling boxes of piccolo and pop-pop firecrackers worth P4,000.

Suriben said charges of violation of RA 7183 would be filed against them.

Mayor Pablo Ortega had ordered the local police to launch a crackdown on illegal firecrackers.

In Caloocan City, Inspector Ronaldo Santiago said local policemen seized several kilos of illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnics reportedly owned by a retired official of the Manila Police District last Sunday afternoon.

The police received a report that several men were unloading boxes of firecrackers from a van parked on 3rdAve.

The unidentified men fled and left the boxes when Santiago and his team arrived and found various firecrackers inside the boxes.

A source said the former Manila police official, whose name was withheld, even called Santiago and urged that the seized firecrackers be returned to him.  – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rey Galupo, Cesar Ramirez, Eva Visperas, Ramon Lazaro, Jun Elias, Ric Sapnu