Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco reminds residents of the existing City Ordinance 431 prohibiting the sale, manufacture and use of powerful firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices that took effect after the Zamboanga siege in 2013.
Climaco in a press briefing Monday night, the continuous ban on firecrackers in the city is not only because it forms part of the health measures but because of people’s trauma from the siege 7 years ago.
The fear and the pain remains until today, she said.
The use of firecrackers and fireworks forms part of the traditional New Year’s Eve merrymaking. No less than the Department of Health has appealed for a firecracker-free celebration during the New Year to reduce the risks of firecracker injuries as well as prevent mass gatherings as part of health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mayor Climaco said security forces are tasked to fully enforce the provisions of the ordinance. She stressed that people could use other alternatives to welcome the New Year with a bang, as she reminded them to continue practicing minimum health standards to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
(Source: Virtual press briefing of Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar)