DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 December) — Use party horns, not firecrackers, the regional director of the Department of Health as he supported calls to implement a nationwide ban on firecrackers to avoid deaths and injuries during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“I strongly agree kasi marami na ang napinsala nito. Ilang daan ang namatay, ilang libo na rin ang nagkaroon ng kapansanan, ilang pamilya na ang nawalan ng magulang, at ilang na naputolan ng kamay” (because so many people have suffered from firecracker blasts. Several hundreds have died, thousands have suffered injuries, several families have lost parents and several have had fingers or hands cut off), Dr. Abdullah Dumama, Jr., DOH 11 told the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City early this week.
Records from the DOH 11 show that the number of firecacker-related injuries in the region comprising the three four Davao provinces (del Norte, del Sur, Oriental and Occcidental) and Compostela Valley reached 139 from December 2014 to January 2015.
Most of these cases were reported in Davao del Norte with 71, followed by Davao del Sur with 31, Davao Oriental with 27, and Compostela Valley with eight.
Davao City, where there is an existing firecracker ban since 2001 recorded two cases.
The City Ordinance banning the firecrackers was passed in 2002 but Mayor Rodrigo ordered to stop the selling, using, and manufacturing of firecrackers in 2001.
Dumama said they are campaigning for use of alternative means of celebrating the New Year through party horns, drums and other means to avoid injuries or death.
Earlier, Duterte, the Presidential bet of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP-Laban) said he would work for a replication of the city’s landmark ordinances on a national level if he is elected President. Among these ordinances are the ban on firecrackers and firing of guns during Christmas and New Year, the ban on smoking, the imposition of speed limit and curfew for minors. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews