Government urged to wage all-out war vs piccolo

MANILA, Philippines – The zero waste and chemical safety watchdog EcoWaste Coalition has urged the government to declare an all-out war against the banned piccolo firecracker, the top cause of firecracker-related injuries in the country.

In its yearly “Iwas Paputok” campaign, the group also expressed support for a national ban on all firecrackers to curb the senseless injuries and sufferings inflicted on firecracker igniters as well as spectators.

“An all-out war against smugglers, distributors and sellers of piccolo will stop this small but terrible monster in further harming more child victims,” said Aileen Lucero, EcoWaste Coalition coordinator.

The group had earlier tagged piccolo as “children’s enemy number one” during the festive season.

“We urge the government to declare such crackdown now, not wait until December 2016, and assign the Bureau of Customs to accomplish this task before the next Christmas season,” Lucero said.

“As what is at stake is the health and safety of young children, we urge the government to provide for a reward system that will lead to the identification and apprehension of culprits involved in the illegal trade of piccolo and other banned firecrackers,” she added.

As of Jan. 1, the Department of Health (DOH) had documented a total of 380 cases of firecracker-related injuries, 219 of whom were piccolo victims.