INSTEAD of lighting up a prohibited firecracker, the public is urged to watch fireworks instead to avoid getting injured.
Baguio City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Head Donnabel Tubera encouraged the public to view the various fireworks displays to be held by the city government in various areas.
“We see this an effective measure to decrease the possible injuries. Secondly, there were a lot of fireworks display sponsored by the private sector in the city last year which is why we encourage everyone to sustain this for us to retain a zero injury in Baguio,” Tubera said.
Based on the 2018 records of the Baguio City Police Office, there was zero injury from firecrackers and indiscriminate firing during the New Year’s Eve revelry as confirmed by the January 1, 2019 report of the DOH.
Baguio City took about five to six years to achieve the goal of having zero firecracker-related injury.
“We also discourage the individual use of firecrackers to prevent firecracker-related injuries. I hope that we can sustain a zero injury for this coming season,” Tubera added.
Monitoring of firecracker-related injuries will be from December 21, 2019 to January 5, 2020. Monitoring of tetanus cases will continue even after January 5.
Meanwhile, Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Police Community Relations Office and public information officer Radino Belly assured the strict implementation of the ban on the use, sale and distribution of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices in the city.
“Our mayor has previously given a directive to strictly implement the ban on firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices in the city and encourage the public to view the fireworks display in common areas sponsored by the city. In December 17,2017, there was a case of confiscation of illegal firecrackers at the Baguio City Public Market which was filed in court including the confiscation of about P9,940 worth of illegal firecrackers in 2018,” Belly said.