Illegal Fireworks Rampant

MAASIN CITY – The coming New Year will be met by a bang as the sale of illegally manufactured fireworks is reportedly rampant throughout the entire province.

In the city alone, the sale of some products of unlicensed fireworks manufacturers and dangerous firecrackers can be openly seen along Espina boulevard, right behind city hall.

Because of this, the Maasin City police force, headed by Chief Hector Enage revealed to SLT that they will be conducting surprise check-ups on all fireworks stalls in the city.

The City PNP Chief said, “We will conduct inspections to all those who are selling fireworks. We will first ask if they have a business permit and permit of sales from city hall. We will then confiscate fireworks that are considered highly dangerous like big judas belt, goodbye philippines and super lolo”. Enage said if they caught violators, they will confiscate the fireworks and file the necessary case in court.

Under Republic Act (RA) 7183 or the law on pyrotechnic devices, persons caught manufacturing, selling, distributing and purchasing illegally manufactured and dangerous fireworks may be imprisoned from six months to a year, and may be slapped with a fine from P20,000 to P30,000.

According to the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry the prohibited firecrackers are the following:

Watusi, Piccolo, Super Lolo, Atomic Big Triangulo, Mother Rockets, Lolo Thunder, Pillbox, Boga, Giant Judah’s belt, Giant Bawang, Kwiton, Goodbye Philippines, Giant Pla-pla.

Other banned firecrackers include the “Atomic Bomb,” Five Star, Pla-pla, Og, Giant Whistle Bomb, and unlabelled, illegally manufactured and imported firecrackers.

Meanwhile, RA 7183 allows the following firecrackers and fireworks made by licensed manufacturers to be sold:

Baby Rocket, Bawang, Small Triangulo, Pulling of strings, Paper caps, El Diablo or Labintador, Sky Rocket or Kwitis, Sparklers, Luces, Fountain, Mabuhay, Trompillo, Airwolf, Whistle Bomb & Butterfly.

The deadliest firecracker of all

The small and seemingly harmless Piccolo has been causing the highest number of firecracker-related injuries for the past three years according to the Department of Health.

The firecracker has been banned by DOH and the Philippine National Police since 2007 because it has harmed more than 700 people over the past four years.

A report by GMA’s Mark Salazar claimed vendors at the Divisoria Market in Manila even managed to circumvent the ban on Piccolo by selling the firecracker under a different name — “Pacquiao Ultraman” apparently in reference to world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao.

During the New Year revelry last year 265 of the 972 recorded firecracker-related injuries were caused by the Piccolo. The highest number of Piccolo casualties was recorded in 2010, with 295 people injured by the small firecracker.

The aerial firecracker “kwitis” which used to be the most harmful sold in the country has ranked only second to the Piccolo during the past three years. Last year it caused a total of 150 injuries.

The DOH had launched an “all-out war” against the sale of Piccolo last year after injuries caused by the firecracker doubled but problems on implementation caused the casualty figures to rise even higher. 

Despite the consistently high number of injuries caused by this firecracker the Piccolo remains accessible to children. In fact, it has already injured a number of children this year even days before the New Year revelry.

On Monday a report by dzBB’s Carlo Mateo said a 10-year-old boy from Manila had already lost two of his fingers after a piccolo exploded in his hand. Three other children were also brought to the Ospital ng Maynila on Monday due to injuries caused by the small firecracker.(By MARK RIMAS)         

Other News

7th MOST LANDSLIDE PRONE

Hospital & Red Cross on high alert for the new year

New Year Wishes 2012

Legal community blasts Corona Impeachment

City can't afford dumpsite

Cyber crimes rising

Gaisano employee dies in crash