Mindanaotoday.com | DOH-10: 9 hurt in firecracker blasts in NorMin
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Nine persons sought medical treatments for burns and other injuries from firecracker explosions during Christmas and New Year revelries in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental provinces in Northern Mindanao, a regional health official said on Friday, January 6.
Physician Stephanie Grace Zamora, who heads the Department of Health-10’s Regional Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit, said another one was hit by a stray bullet in Maramag town, Bukidnon on Christmas eve.
Zamora, in a Philippine Information Agency forum at SM City Uptown mall in Cagayan de Oro, said her office would still accept reports on fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) until January 21, this year.
Seven of the nine FWRIs reported were in Bukidnon and two in Misamis Oriental – mostly from improvised firecrackers called “boga” and 5-Star, the DOH-10 RESDRU head said, adding that all patients, except one, were males whose ages range from six to 55 years old.
In the same forum, Maj. Joanne Navarro, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-10, said the stray-bullet incident happened minutes before 12 midnight of December 24.
Navarro, citing a report from Maramag Police Station, said the victim, who was hit on his left wrist, has been in stable condition after the bullet was removed through surgical procedure in a hospital.
The PRO-10 spokesperson said their regionwide “proactive” inspections of those selling fireworks (firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices) resulted to the seizure of 3,152 items valued at about P30 thousand.
These, she said, were confiscated from Maramag, Bukidnon; Puerto and Carmen villages in Cagayan de Oro (Police stations 4 and 6); and Lanao del Norte towns of Baroy, Kapatagan, Lala, and Tubod.
Navarro said “boga” which is classified firecrackers are improvised “bangers” in communities, hence they have no way of confiscating, unless these are reported to them by parents and village leaders.
She said simultaneous destruction of the seized fireworks has been set Saturday, January 7, 10 a.m., at Camp Capistrano in Gusa, Cagayan de Oro and urged the media to witness the event.
Regional Information Officer Julie Nieva-Costales, who represented the Department of Trade and Industry in the forum, said only 14 firms have been authorized to manufacture and sell fireworks – with PS (Product Standard) markings and compliant of the mandatory labeling and safety instructions.
Without PS markings, labeling and safety tips for buyers, the fireworks – often sold cheaper than the others – are considered illegal and must be confiscated, Costales said.
Meanwhile, an online seller of fireworks based in Malaybalay City was apprehended in an entrapment operation days before Christmas and has been charged for alleged violation of Republic Act No. 7183 (Fireworks Regulation Act) before the Prosecutor’s Office, according to Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Rabe of PRO-10 Regional Civil Security Unit.
Rabe said the accused has posted P10 thousand bail bond for his temporary liberty.
With the nine FWRIs and a case of stray-bullet injury, members of the Inter-Agency Task Force “Iwas Paputok” observed a downtrend of FWRIs in the past five years, even if Northern Mindanao recorded nine this time, compared to four previously.
With PRO-10 as IATF “Iwas Paputok” regional chair, members include the regional offices of DOH, DTI, BFP, and Department of Interior and Local Government, among others.
“There were six fire incidents that our firefighters responded to, within the period (Dec. 21 to Dec. 5), but none was due to fireworks” said Engr. Noli dela Rita, spokesperson of the Bureau of Fire Protection-10.
Dela Rita said there were fireworks-related fires in the past – the worst occurred in a business establishment along Mortola and J.R. Borja Streets, Cagayan de Oro which killed several workers and customers trapped inside by fire that lasted for hours. (MT)
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