DOH starts Iwas-Paputok drive

Unlike other children their age, 10-year-old Jerald Viray and 13-year-old Renato Gallardo do not have fond memories of the holiday season.

Last New Year’s Day, they lost their fingers when they picked up “used” firecrackers, which suddenly exploded when the boys tried to light them.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Jerald and Renato were among the 869 people who suffered firecracker-related injuries as 2007 drew to a close.

“What is worse is that… 35 percent of those injured belong to the 10 years and younger bracket and most of the injuries were caused by firecrackers that are considered legal,” he said.

Duque said a legal firecracker is not necessarily safe. There is no firecracker that can be considered safe. So to be safe we must avoid the use of firecrackers.”

Based on data from the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC), the firecrackers or paputok that caused the most injuries were kwitis, piccolo, luces, five-star and whistle bomb. With the exception of piccolo, the others are “legally sold in the market,” Duque said.

Renato played with a whistle bomb while Jerald used a five-star.         

“We are calling on parents to keep firecrackers out of the reach of young kids. Be responsible in protecting your children,” Duque said.

He also called on local government units (LGUs) nationwide to designate a common area for fireworks display in their localities to further reduce injuries.

Duque also asked the LGUs to immediately sweep the streets after the New Year’s Eve celebration so children would not be able to pick up firecrackers that failed to explode.