AUTHORITIES in Davao City are reminding residents that the city’s long-standing ban on firecrackers remains firmly in place, with the holiday season fast approaching, additing that they are intensifying monitoring to prevent violations.
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) said its operations continue across commercial establishments to check for illegal sale and distribution of firecrackers.
Police Captain Hazel Caballero Tuazon, DCPO spokesperson, said in a media interview that assessments conducted by the city’s 19 police stations show no arrests or apprehensions yet for firecracker-related violations in the first week of December.
Tuazon noted that no one violated the firecracker ordinance during the 2024 Christmas and New Year celebrations, reflecting the city’s consistent adherence to the ban. However, she said authorities still confiscate items such as improvised bamboo cannons and children's toy cannons, reiterating that all forms of firecrackers remain prohibited in Davao City.
Meanwhile, Acting City Director Colonel Mannan Caracas Muarip issued a strong warning that the DCPO will uphold a zero-tolerance policy throughout the festive period. He said individuals caught manufacturing, selling, distributing, possessing, or using firecrackers will face immediate charges.
“For more than 20 years, Davao City has enjoyed a peaceful, injury-free, and safe celebration of the holidays because our people respected the Firecracker Ban,” Muarip said.
City Ordinance No. 060-02, which established the ban over two decades ago, remains a key public safety measure that prevented injuries, fires, and air pollution related to firecrackers. Police have already increased patrols to ensure compliance. The prohibition covers all traditional firecrackers, pyrotechnic devices, and improvised explosives such as bamboo and PVC cannons using lighter fluid.
Under the ordinance, first-time offenders face a P1,000 fine or 20 to 30 days imprisonment or both. A second offense carries a P3,000 penalty or one to three months imprisonment or both, while a third offense warrants a P5,000 fine or three to six months imprisonment or both.
Muarip encouraged the public to maintain Davao City’s tradition of safe holiday noise-making by using alternatives such as pots and pans or torotots (blow horns), a practice that has helped the city uphold its injury-free celebration for more than two decades. DEF