Here we go again: Don’t burn tires to greet 2013

As authorities issued warnings against the use of firecrackers to greet 2013 with a bang, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Tuesday also reminded the public against setting tires on fire on the streets this New Year’s Eve.

Over radio on Christmas Day, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said this practice is not only bad for the environment but could also damage asphalt roads.

The MMDA chair said his agency had made arrangements with the Bureau of Fire Protection to deploy fire trucks in response to tire-burning incidents.

Meanwhile, the Makati City government also called on residents in three barangay (villages) – Bangkal, Pio del Pilar and Magallanes—to strictly observe the firecracker ban implemented in their area since 2010.

The three villages fall within the area affected by the massive oil leak coming from an underground pipeline owned by First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC)

Two years after the leak was discovered, FPIC is still undertaking what it called a remediation program in the area. The firecracker ban was among the safety measures taken to keep the fire-prone area safe.

Makati Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. advised residents who wish to celebrate the New Year to just use pots and pans or blow horns to make noise. Jaymee T. Gamil