Firecracker spectacle a yearly tradition in Dagupan barangay

DAGUPAN CITY – For the past 10 years, residents of Barangay Pogo Grande here have greeted the New Year literally with a bang.

The spectacle – about a kilometer-long string of assorted firecrackers hung on the road and lit up at noon of New Year’s Day – has attracted residents of adjoining villages and neighboring towns.

For this year’s event, about 128,000 firecrackers such as crying cow, super lolo and kiton reportedly costing P25,000 were used, said George Gal­van, chairman of Barangay Pogo Grande, one of the city’s producers of firecrackers.

Galvan said wealthy residents and the firecracker makers themselves contributed to make the much-awaited one-hour event possible.

People began hanging the firecrackers as early as 7 a.m., finishing the task by around 11:45 a.m., in time for the noon spectacle.

The road was closed to vehicular traffic, while an ambulance and a fire truck were on standby for any untoward incident.

Since the tradition started 10 years ago during the term of former village head Satur­nino Siapno, no one has been injured, said former barangay captain Jojo Ramos.

Ramos said the string of firecrackers has become longer as the years passed, adding that the louder the explosions have become, the merrier the residents have been.

After the event, barangay folk would help in the clean­up, he added.