Cops eyeing to meet firecracker makers

CEBU, Philippines – Lapu-Lapu City Police is eyeing to meet with  pyro-technics makers in Barangay Babag to discuss measures to prevent untoward incidents  and protect the buying  public few months before Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Lapu-Lapu City Police Acting Chief Senior Superintendent Armando Radoc said his office will closely coordinate with the Firearms and Explosive Office to discuss safety involving those engaged in pyrotechnics making in the said barangay.

Barangay Babag is Lapu-Lapu’s firecrackers capital, where legal and illegal firecracker manufacturers reportedly thrive.

Radoc said the police assist the Firearms and Explosive Office every year to monitor the compliance of all pyrotechnics makers on the existing laws and regulations.

According to Radoc, there is a need to remind them to avoid loss of lives and damage to properties.

Designated area

Meanwhile, one of the provisions of RA 7183 is for local government units like cities and municipalities to designate an area where firecracker factories may be established. This area should also be 300 meters away from the nearest residential units.

Last year, a firecracker zone has been designated in Lapu-Lapu City.

The pyrotechnics vendors here are allowed to sell firecrackers only in such designated zone located within Barangay Babag to Barangay Canjulao.

However, in an earlier report published by The FREEMAN, the Firearms and Explosives Division in Camp Crame – the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police – reportedly granted licenses to firecracker manufacturers even if their factories are situated in residential areas.

This is true in the case of the factories in Lapu-Lapu City, the report said.

One follower

Of the four licensed firecracker manufacturers in Barangay Babag, only JP Fireworks, owned by the late Julian Pongasi, considered as the “Father of Firecrackers” in Lapu-Lapu, and his wife Grace, complied with the 300-meter provision of the law.

The Pongasi factories are located in the family’s fish ponds to minimize danger in case of accidents. “Gituyo namo nga gilagyo ang factory kay aron kun may aksidente dili dako ang kadaut (We purposely built our factory afar to minimize damage in case of any eventuality),” Grace Pongasi said.

The other factories, Avila Firecracker Pyrotechnic Manufacturing; Juliet M. Wahing Pyrotechnics Manufacturing and; EB & A Fireworks Industry are within the prohibited zone, according to the report published last year.

Their permits to manufacture firecrackers expired on January 31, 2014 and The FREEMAN has yet to learn whether the firms have renewed their licenses or whether they have moved to safer grounds, away from residential areas.

Mario Avila of Avila Firecracker Pyrotechnic Manufacturing explained that he complied with all the provisions of the law except the one that required the factory to be at least 300 meters away from a residential area.

“Kana ra g’yud maoy lisud kaayo tumanon kay asa man kami maghimo og factory nga nalukop-lukop na man ang mga lugar dinhi nga dunay nagpuyo (The 300-meter requirement is the most difficult to follow. Where do they expect us to build our factory when practically almost everywhere here is already a residential site),” said Avila, whose factory is just in front of his house in Sitio Radar.  — with Rene U. Borromeo