TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines -- Health and police officials in Eastern Visayas reported that the number of persons injured due to firecracker blasts was comparatively lower compared to the previous New Year celebrations.

The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health reported that as of Friday morning, only 16 persons sustained injuries due to firecrackers.

“This number is lower if we are to compare it to previous New Year celebration (in 2008) when we have 18 cases,” regional sentinel nurse Boyd Cerro said in a telephone interview Friday.

Cerro said that all these 16 persons were treated in various government and private hospitals in the region.

“Eighty percent of them were minors,” Cerro said.

Since the “white code” alert among hospitals will be lifted on January 5, the DOH was anticipating that some more cases to pyrotechnic-related injuries may be reported.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Rene Hidalgo, assistant information officer of the regional office of the Philippine National Police, said that their office has not received any report of indiscriminate firing by any policeman or civilian.

Major Magintonong Tocalo, information officer of the 8th Infantry Division, also said that there was “zero” indiscriminate firing among soldiers in the region.

Cerro partly credited the decrease in the number of persons who sustained injury to the Iwas Papautok campaign of the DOH against using firecrackers during the New Year celebration. He also recognized the contribution of the media and the police, Cerro said.

The non-stop rain experienced by the region was also a big factor in the decline of cases of persons who were injured due to firecrackers, Cerro said.