THE Mabalacat City Police has released the list of designated firecracker zones.
Lieutant Colonel Jerry B. Corpuz, the city's police director, said the areas include the basketball courts in Barangays Mamatitang, Poblacion, Dau, Camachilles, Madapdap, and Mabiga.
These places named "community firecrackers and pyrotechnic zones" in Mabalacat City are where people are allowed to light firecrackers under Republic Act 7183, an act regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.
Allowed firecrackers include baby rocket, bawang, small triangulo, pulling of strings, paper cups, el diablo, watusi, judah’s belt, sky rocket (kwitis), and other types equivalent to the foregoing in explosive content.
Other pyrotechnic devices are sparklers, luces, fountain, jumbo regular and special, mabuhay, roman candle, tropillo, airwolf, whistle device, butterfly, all kinds of pyrotechnic devices, and other types equivalent to the above-mentioned devices.
Also all firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices must bear in the label the name and address of the manufacturer and the warning instructions must be written in Filipino and English. The manufacturing zone must be 300 meters away from the nearest residential unit.
The Philippine National Police through Firearms and Explosives Office or the provincial office can issue permit to sell.
Other types of pyrotechnics which were not named in the list or those having a content of more than 0.2 grams of gun powder and imported fireworks are prohibited.
Anyone caught violating the provisions of RA 7183 shall be punished by a fine of not less P20, 000 but not more than P30, 000 or imprisonment of not less than six months to one year or both fine and imprisonment based on the discretion of the court in addition to the cancellation of his or her license and business permit to include confiscation of items.
Corpuz said that safety is everyone’s concern.