Pyro bizmen carp over requirement

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  — What’s in a fireworks safety seminar? Aside from getting safety tips on handling precarious substances like pyrotechnics and firecrackers, it was also a requirement for manufacturers, dealers, and retailers to engage legally in trading these items. 

This requirement however also came with a price, and at a hefty tag. For manufacturers, a registration fee of P2,000 is required for the one-day seminar conducted last Tuesday at the Arevalo Multi-purpose Gym, while for dealers the fee was P1,500 and for retailers P1,000.

The seminar came with a certificate of attendance, two snacks, and a lunch, but even if many of the seminar participants griped over the “costly” requirement, no one got the courage to voice out their complaints in the open.

One participant told The Freeman that he was surprised when he learned that he has to pay P1,000 for the seminar, which was conducted in a government’s facility. “We can’t do anything however because we were told it was a requirement for us to be allowed to sell firecrackers,” he said.

The seminar certificate will form part of the requirements in the application, renewal or otherwise, for license of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices manufacturers, dealers and retailers.

The seminar, conducted by speakers from the Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association, Inc. (PPMDAI) and the PNP Firearms and Explosives Divisions (FED), was a joint project of the PPMDAI and the PNP.

Another retailer complained that the P1,000 fee was a big amount considering that selling of pyrotechnics and firecrackers has not been as lucrative as in the past years. She added that they also underwent a sort of safety seminar last year but they were only made to pay P300. “The P1,000 fee was too much for us but we could not do anything against it,” she said.

An official of the PNP claimed that they had no hand on the registration of participants. PPMDAI chairman Celso Cruz, for his part, admitted that they set a certain amount for the registration fee to cover the expenses of the seminar, especially on officers who flew in from Manila.

Cruz said the registration would also mean the membership of the participants to the association. He said that being a member would provide the chance to call the group for any queries, besides the benefit of having the knowledge on safety concerns.

“We hope to reduce casualty related to pyrotechnics and firecracker incidents,” Cruz said, adding that incidents caused by firecrackers usually happened because of little knowledge on the safety handling.

Records from Police Regional Office-6 said that 406 manufacturers, dealers, and retailers participated in safety seminar. They were also provided with safety tips in packaging, storage, store display and transport of the merchandise.

The seminar was anchored on Republic Act 7183 or an “Act regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.” It also aimed to prevent accidents which cause damages and even death because of mishandling of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices. 

Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr., PRO-6 director, lauded the conduct of the seminar because it is “very timely to educate the manufacturers, dealers and retailers of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices as we prepare for the holiday season.”

The PRO-6 official also enjoined the public to buy firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices only from accredited or authorized sources.  (FREEMAN)