(Eagle News) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government is targeting zero firecracker-related injuries for the holidays.
Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, DILG spokesperson, made the statement on Friday, Dec. 18, as the DILG ordered police units to confiscate illegal fireworks and make arrests “when necessary.”
The department said illegal fireworks include watusi, piccolo, giant whistle bomb, large Judas belt, super lolo, lolo thunder, atomic bomb, giant bawang, atomic bomb triangulo, boga, kwiton, pillbox, goodbye Earth, goodbye bading, hello Columbia and goodbye Philippines.
Malaya said the zero-casualty target was attainable, noting that there has been a drop in firecracker-related incidents in previous years.
According to data from the Philippine National Police, Malaya said 307 firecracker-related incidents were recorded in the country in January 2019.
This was 67% lower than the 929 recorded incidents in 2016.
In 2018, he said there were 449 incidents while there were only 65 incidents in 2017.
“There has been a steady decline for the past three years and we can sustain that trend if we remain persistent with our efforts to implement laws and regulations on the use of firecrackers such as Republic Act 7183 and Executive Order No. 28,” Malaya said.
Executive Order No. 28 regulates the use of firecrackers.
“Patuloy po tayong gumagawa ng information campaign bawat barangay pinapasok natin ‘yan. Umiikot ang mga bumbero natin upang ipaalala sa komunidad na dapat po tayong umiwas sa mga bagay na nagsasanhi ng sunog,” the Bureau of Fire Protection’s Senior Insp. Bayani Zambrano said.