THE disaster office of the Cebu City Government urged the barangays and other concerned offices to help enforce the City’s policies on selling firecrackers and pyrotechnics devices.
In Talisay City, health officials urged the public to handle firecrackers properly.
Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes designated Barangay Lagtang as the only area for selling firecrackers in the city.
Vince Monterde, Talisay City public information and local disaster risk reduction and management (LDRRM) officer, told reporters that firecracker sellers who secured permits from the City can sell within the firecracker zone.
As of last week, only six sellers were able to get permission from the City and from BFP to sell their wares in Lagtang.
The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRRMO) issued a memorandum dated Dec. 16 asking the police, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), City Health Office, the business permit section of City Treasurer’s Office and barangay tanods and captains to strictly enforce City Ordinance 2290.
The ordinance prohibits the selling, distribution and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics outside the designated areas.
Duties
“We are once again called to fulfill our duties of preventing, if not, mitigating the untoward effects or incidents arising from the sale, possession, distribution and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics during the yuletide season up to the New Year distribution,” said Councilor Dave Tumulak.
Tumulak, who also chairs the CCDRRMO, said the barangays should disallow the selling of firecrackers and pyrotechnics in their areas because the ordinance only designates the South Road Properties (SRP) for this.
However, shopping malls are given special permits and are allowed to sell certain fireworks but not firecrackers.
Malls
Class one fireworks and pyrotechnic devices that may be sold inside shopping malls include those with a cap, smoke device, party popper, table tomb, throwdown (bawang or triangulo), novelty match (watusi), non hand-held sparkler, handheld sparkler, cracker snap and serpent.
Class two and three fireworks and pyrotechnic devices, or those suitable for outdoor use and may cause injury to people, include the banger (Judas belt), fountain, Roman candle, mine, wheel (trompillo), rocket, combination, shell, and shell in mortar.
Class two and three firecrackers should only be sold at a designated area as stated in the ordinance.
Yesterday, vendors who have secured permits from the city started selling firecrackers at the SRP.
Tumulak said the barangays can confiscate the items and must turn these over to BFP.
Covered court
In Talisay, Monterde said that Lagtang’s covered court has been the designated firecracker zone since the time of former Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez.
Monterde said they will be monitoring firecracker sellers who failed to secure permits to sell their wares.
He said anyone caught selling outside the firecracker zone will have their wares confiscated.
Monterde said a firecracker zone will help prevent firecracker-related incidents.
Iwas Paputok
The BFP office in Talisay City is also coordinating with the local police.
Dr. Lakshmi Legaspi, DOH 7 assistant regional director, told reporters that with their agency’s Oplan Iwas Paputok now activated, they will be monitoring the number of firecracker-related injuries starting this month until the end of the New Year next year.
She urged the public to avoid using illegally-sold firecrackers that might endanger lives.
Common firecrackers that had been the cause of some injuries includes piccolo, kwitis, spirate, sparklers, hotdog, flying tiger, thick long, triangle, whistlebomb, watusi, lantaka and fountain.