Baguio City — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCor) are strictly enforcing the ban on the use of illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices in welcoming the New Year in the Cordillera region.
“We are highly encouraging our local chief executives (LCEs) and the public to strictly comply with the said regulation, because we are eyeing for a continuous decline of firecracker related injuries,” said DILG-CAR Assistant Regional Director Araceli San Jose.
She said that under Republic Act No. 7183, an act regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, the PNP should determine what constitute as prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices and promulgate rules and regulations necessary to regulate and control their use.
Likewise, LCEs are authorized to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations on firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices within their territorial jurisdiction.
The DILG and PROCor issued a joint advisory on December 28, 2020 urging the LCEs to enforce the ban on the use of illegal firecrackers. Among the prohibited firecrackers identified are the following: Piccolo, Watusi, Giant Whistle Bomb, Giant Bawang, Large Judas Belt, Super Lolo, Lolo Thunder, Atomic Bomb, Atomic Bomb Triangulo, Pillbox, Boga, Kwiton, Goodbye Earth, Hello Columbia, Coke-In-Can, Goodbye Bading, OG, and Kabasi.
The prohibited firecrackers are those overweight (not more than 0.2 gram or not more than 1/3 teaspoon), the fuse of the firecracker should not burn less than three seconds but not more than six seconds, imported finished products and firecrackers with mixture of phosphorous of sulfur with that of chlorate.
Executive Order No. 28 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, which provides for the regulation and control of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, stipulates that the use of fireworks is limited to the display of fireworks display.
Community firework displays are permitted but should first be authorized by local government units (LGUs) while applying health precautions such as social distancing, wearing face masks/shields, and regular hand washing.
The Government has developed such protocols to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which lurks in droplets expelled by infected persons by coughing, sneezing, and speaking. (RIU | DILG-CAR, photo courtesy by Joe Manzano, RPN DZBS Baguio OIC)