BACOLOD City Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda urged the members of the Bacolod City Pyrotechnics Vendors and Association to secure all the requirements to display their products in the designated area starting December 1 to 31.
Pineda, head of market coordinating and monitoring task force, said yesterday they will only allow the firecracker vendors who underwent fireworks safety seminar on August 10 and October 5 to display their products.
The seminar was conducted by the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association (PPMDAI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“It is the policy of the PNP and the local government unit that only those who underwent fireworks safety seminar can sell firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices,” Pineda said.
On October 29, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Memorandum Order No. 31 directing the PNP and other concerned agencies to strictly implement existing laws, rules and regulations on the sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.
Pineda said some of the firecracker vendors already secured the requirements and it will be submitted to the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
He said the president of the group preferred to display their products in last year’s designated area, behind the Pope John Paul II Tower at the Reclamation Area but it still needs an approval from the city government.
The Bacolod City Pyrotechnics Vendors and Association has a total of 77 members.
“We expect that it will reduce this year because some of the members signified to stop selling firecrackers and other pyrotechnics devices after one of their members was arrested last year for selling of five star which they claimed that it was not explained during their seminar that it was an illegal firecracker,” Pineda said.
He said this year, it was already explained to the firecracker vendors the types of illegal firecrackers to avoid similar incidents.
Pineda will hold a meeting with the firecracker vendors on Sunday, November 11 at the Bacolod Government Center.