WITH the upcoming Christmas and New Year, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Central Visayas has warned firework and firecracker merchants to follow designated selling areas.
BFP-Central Visayas Director Senior Superintendent Gilbert Dolot said they will conduct regular monitoring of fireworks and firecrackers being sold for the holidays.
“We will look into the products they are selling as well as on the manner it is being sold. We also encourage the local government units (LGUs) to designate safe areas for the selling of fireworks and firecrackers,” Dolot said.
He said there is a need for a dedicated space where the proper distance of structures is observed. Merchants should not be near buildings or homes to prevent accidents.
“It is a must especially for their fireworks display area,” he said.
Dolot said they will also be conducting an Oplan Paalala campaign as a preventive measure this Christmas and New Year season.
“We will soon roam around the barangays to remind them of the ways to celebrate the holidays safely,” he said.
Dolot said fire marshalls of the different cities and towns in Central Visayas have been informed to urge their LGUs to have a firework designated zone.
“There is a set of guidelines that they need to follow for the safety of the public in terms of selling and using fireworks,” Dolot said.
The BFP-Central Visayas is set to recommend fireworks designated zone for major cities and towns where consumers can buy from authorized and legal merchants.
In the past years, consumers bought firecrackers and fireworks in a dedicated selling area at the South Road Properties. (JOB)