MANILA, Philippines -- With the Department of Health's firecracker ?horror? campaign, only 446 firecracker-related injuries have been listed as of 6 a.m. of January 1, a 46 percent decline compared to the 831 cases listed during the same period last year, according to health secretary Francisco Duque.

"The effective strategy was showing the public the incontrovertible horrors of losing their limbs and possibly their lives," Duque told a press conference in East Avenue Medical Center.

Prior to the New Year celebrations, the health department showed the public medical equipment similar to saw used in amputation and also presented a young boy whose hand had to be cut because of firecracker injuries.

Duque also noted that of these injuries, none was life-threatening.

"Now we even see a marked decrease in the number of cases with severe injuries leading to death and to injuries. All types of injuries are not too severe unlike during the previous years when there were cases of severely injured hands and face,? said Duque.

Of the total, there were 439 fireworks-related injuries and seven cases due to stray bullets. Majority of the victims were males with 30 percent from the total were children aged 10 years old and below.

Seventy percent of the total were blast/burn injuries without amputation; 22 percent with eye injuries; seven percent with amputation, according to the DoH data.

There have been zero cases of Watusi ingestion, added the DoH.

Meanwhile, Duque said the DOH will continue seeking amendments to RA 7183, or the Act regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers.

"This is precisely the reason why we need to adopt a common position before we submit the proposed amendments to RA 7183.we could see there is a need to remove from the list certain kinds of fireworks.. that have been proven to cause injuries and for that reason we will promptly submit the amendments to the law," added Duque.