A 15-YEAR-OLD girl from Malabon City is in a coma at the intensive care unit of the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila after being hit by a stray bullet in the head and attending physicians are not optimistic about her chances of full recovery as doing a surgery could worsen her situation.
The other stray bullet victim is from Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, a 27-year-old man who was hit while inside his house last December 25. In Mandaue City, three fires rendered 450 families homeless as the clock ushered in the New Year.
The Department of Health is happy that firecracker injuries have decreased by 60 percent compared to the average of the past five years and compared to last year.
Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said as of 6 a.m. on January 1, the DOH recorded a total of 350 firecracker and firework-related injuries for New Year's Eve 2017.
Of the 350 cases, 348 were injuries and two were ingestion. The biggest number was caused by Piccolo.
That Piccolo, a prohibited firecracker, is the main cause of injuries should already be a slap on every law enforcer's and local government official's face.
It should be a cause for shame for not being able to implement a law that regulates these injurious commodity. But, no. Law enforcers and government officials cannot be bothered with that.
That hundreds stand to lose their homes because of one stray firecracker never ever bothered those living in settlement areas where houses are built close together with light materials, all they care is that they can drink and light up firecrackers either to show off that they are macho or for no reason at all.
Have you even wondered how the birds are whenever there is a fireworks display? When pet dogs and cats become quivering masses every year, how much more birds that are most likely already roosting for the night?
Indeed, there is reason to be happy because injuries have finally been reduced, but that is 350 too many. Since 2001, Davao City has obliterated firecracker injuries and firecracker-caused fires by simply telling the people that all types of firecrackers and pyrotechnics are banned.
Not even appeals because of culture was exempted, even the appeals of businessmen who already bought their stocks for the 2001 holidays fell on deaf ears. The President who was then the mayor said that the reason why the ban applies to all types and all people is simply because when he starts giving exemption, then everyone will come up with reasons for exemption.
The city has since been filled with noise of the torotots, the videokes, the revving of car engines, the kalderos and sandok, and the scrap sheets of iron and cans tied to vehicles that go round and round neighborhoods.
The evil spirits that firecrackers were supposed to scare off were just as deafened by the noise. One good thing the ban brought about is that with no more blasts blaring out everywhere, firing of guns have also been stopped. Because amid the sound of torotots and revving cars, a gunshot will always stand out and will be easy to locate.
All it takes is for communities, for neighborhoods, for families to say: For the good of all, let us stop lighting up firecrackers.