With the New Year celebration just around the corner, pyrotechnic manufacturers may be selling fireworks at a higher price tag now due to more expensive input for production.
Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association (PPMDA) president Lea Alapide said at a Laging Handa briefing on Monday that the chemicals used in manufacturing the fireworks have gone up amid the pandemic.
For example, she said that a sack of chloride now costs P10,500, which is markedly higher compared to the previous price of P3,700.
Still, Alapide is banking on the Filipino tradition to drive the sales, especially after the strict regulations in the use of fireworks last year.
“Ang totoo po, dahil po sa last year medyo nahigpitan po tayo nang todo, talagang sabik naman din po ang mga individual na consumer [The truth is, because there were some restrictions last year, the individual consumers now are excited to buy],” she said.
But retailers are having a hard time securing their licenses to sell from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local government units (LGUs), she said, noting that many of their applications have remained pending.
Alapide requested to ease the entire process so the retailers may be able to transact immediately. This, in addition to asking for the approval of the application for licenses.
The PPMDA official, meanwhile, assured the government that it is against the selling of illegal fireworks.
“Ever since po talaga pong ayaw naman din po namin iyong mga malalakas na dati na pong nakakalusot at kaisa po namin ang gobyerno rin po sa pagmamanman noong mga iligal pong iyan (Ever since, we are against the selling of the banned fireworks and we are one with the government in monitoring the illegal activities),” she said.
As such, she enjoined the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to strengthen the monitoring of fireworks being sold in the market as well as the enforcement of the related regulations.
Doing so will help the licensed vendors to generate more sales, Alapide said.
The DTI, for its part, oversees the quality of the products in the market, including the fireworks.
As of December 9, the following companies have secured valid Philippine Standard Certification Mark licenses: Dragon Fireworks Inc. Diamond Fireworks Inc., Leegendary Fireworks, Inc. Pegasus Fireworks, Phoenix Fireworks and Double L Fireworks.
Recently, the PNP said they are banning the use of firecrackers and similar devices amid the holidays again, which have resulted in lower cases of injuries last year. But the police stations will work with LGUs in identifying designated zones for firecrackers for safety.
