DESPITE the firm ban on the sale of firecrackers in Baguio City, there were still vendors who sold firecrackers during the Yuletide season.
With this, the City Government plans to propose an ordinance on the total ban on the sale and use of firecrackers in the city’s vicinity.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan’s Executive Assistant Raffy Tallocoy revealed to media yesterday they will soon propose for an ordinance prohibiting both the sale and use of firecrackers in Baguio City. He said they will present their plan during the executive – legislative meeting next week in order to collect inputs and actions.
The plan on the total ban emerged after the Yuletide season celebration after several persistent vendors tried convincing Domogan to allow them to sell pyrotechnics. Tallocoy said there were vendors who sold firecrackers at the boundary of Tuba and the city. He said Tuba officials allegedly allowed the sale of firecrackers on their town.
The alleged selling of firecrackers at the boundary area defeated the firm order of Domogan because some clients allegedly bought firecrackers from the selling point then brought it to Baguio City.
On the consolidated report of the Department of Health (DOH), there were 11 victims of firecrackers in Baguio City. Tallocoy said the occurrence of the injuries in the city was caused by persistent vendors inside the city and vendors outside but near the city’s vicinity.
DOH officials and city officials recommend that BLISTT officials should support each other’s policies and programs for the improvement of the whole BLISTT area not only Baguio City. The figures on the injuries should have been even lower if the BLISTT officials cooperated on the campaign against firecrackers.
In Cordillera, there are 36 injured persons because of firecrackers from Dec. 21, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2014. A total of 21 were injured because of piccolo while four were injured due to kwitis.