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Tuesday, January 02, 2007
More than 900 injured in New Year's revelry
MANILA -- More than 900 people were injured by firecrackers and celebratory gunfire as Filipinos ushered in the New Year in frenzied revelry that persisted despite a high-profile government crackdown on dangerous celebrations, officials said Monday.
The figure - representing a nearly 50 percent rise in injuries compared to last year's - included nearly 300 people who were injured in pre-New Year revelry in the last two weeks and more than 600 injuries close to midnight Sunday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. Among the injured were 35 people, mostly children, hit by celebratory gunfire.
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There were no immediate deaths reported on New Year's Eve, but 25 people perished in a Christmas Day blaze sparked by firecrackers in the central Philippine city of Ormoc.
According to Duque stray bullet cases climbed by 84 percent from last year's 19 cases while watusi ingestion went down to two from the 10 cases in 2006.
Duque said while the cases of fireworks related accidents increased by nearly 50 percent this year covering the periods December 21, 2006 to January 1, 2007 "the good news is no deaths were reported". There are seven deaths recorded in 2006.
He said out of the 870 firecrackers injuries 29 percent of the cases are children below 10 years old and 79 percent or 684 cases are male while 48 percent are bystanders.
"This has become a deeply ingrained aspect of our culture," Duque told a news conference as he tried to explain why the annual carnage has persisted despite intense government crackdowns against the use of powerful firecrackers and guns on New Year's Eve.
Duque said the National Capital Region still posted the highest cases with 635 followed by region 1 with 61 cases, region VI-A or the Calabarzon area with 44 cases and region 3 or the Bicol region with 39 cases.
About 131 of the cases from NCR were under the influence of alcohol. Duque said 627 of the total firecrackers cases sustained blast and burn without amputation, 186 were eye injuries and 50 cases are with amputation.
The top five firecrackers that cause the injuries are rockets with 107, piccolo 90 cases, five star with 82 cases and boga or PVC pipe with 64 cases which is triple the 17 cases posted in 2006.
Duque explained that the increased in the number of injuries due to fireworks could be attributed to the fact that about 98 percent or 50 of the sentinel hospitals were able to submit their reports as compared to the 40 hospitals that submitted their reports in 2006.
Another factor, which Duque said could be the possible reason why there are more cases reported this year is because Filipinos have money now than last years.
"There is no clear evidence that would prove but literally they have more money to burn....but of course all of these would have to be validated," the Health chief added.
The country's improving economy and heavy inflows of money sent home by millions of foreign-based Filipino workers may have also spurred robust sales in firecrackers, he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eric Tayag, head of the DOH's National Epidemiology Center said they expect cases to further increase with the submission of some remaining sentinel hospitals.
"We will monitor this situation until January 5, Tayag told reporters.
Superstitious Filipinos believe that noisy New Year's celebrations, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, drive away evil and misfortune.
Each year celebrations go too far in the Philippines, as powerful firecrackers explode in crowded neighborhoods, often during drinking sprees. Many Filipinos fire guns in the air and set car tires ablaze in the streets, making many urban areas resemble war zones.
National Police Director General Oscar Calderon ordered a crackdown on illegal firecracker use and celebratory gunfire ahead of the celebrations, threatening to arrest violators.
TV networks were also urged to show videos of firecracker victims writhing in pain in hospital emergency rooms as a deterrent, officials said.
Officials also organized fireworks shows studded with movie stars in a Manila seaside square and the nearby financial district of Makati, which drew hundreds of thousands of revelers, to discourage smaller but often-reckless neighborhood celebrations.
Despite the efforts, powerful bomb-like firecracker blasts reverberated across Manila close to midnight. As the revelry waned, sirens of ambulance vans loaded with the injured wailed in many smoke-choked neighborhoods. (AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (January 2, 2007 issue)
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