FROM Dec. 15 to 31, the stretch of M.L Quezon Highway from the point of Barangay Canjulao to Barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City will be a no-smoking zone.

Policemen and personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will regularly patrol the area to prevent accidents.

The City Council declared the stretch a firecracker zone to give local manufacturers an edge over distributors of imported products mostly from China and to promote their products, which have been Lapu-Lapu City’s pride.

BFP Operation Chief SFO3 Rodrigo Ygot, Jr. said their patrol will start first hour in the morning until all stores close in the evening for a rest.

“Kapoy ug init gyod hinoon, pero kinahanglan man para walay aksidenti ug kon duna man gani dali ra nga ma respondihan (It’s tiresome, but we need to patrol the area to prevent accidents, and if there is any, we could respond right away),” he said, adding that two firetrucks from the sub-stations in Poblacion and Babag will be assigned in the area.

Six fire trucks

The BFP has only six firetrucks — three are owned by the National Government, the other three were donated by the City.

But three of them were each detailed in the sub-stations in Olango Island, Barangays Babag and Buaya.

Last Wednesday, the City Council approved in its regular session a budget of P520,000 to buy a small firetruck to assist in the BFP’s operations.

Ygot said that on Monday, a seminar will be held among firecracker manufacturers, and those who fail to attend will not be issued a fire safety clearance, a requirement in obtaining a business permit from City Hall for an outside display of products.

Topped

He said a copy of the business permit, a license and the right sizes of each firecracker topped their concern during first day of inspection of each store along the road.

He said a ban on children from working in firecracker factories and a refresher about safety measures to avoid accidents involving explosions at illegal manufacturing sites that have killed many people, are the focus of the seminar. (AIV)

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(December 6, 2008 issue)
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