Cebu City convenes firecracker task force

The Cebu city government convened on Monday its Task Force “Pabuto” to make sure that firecrackers would only be sold at the designated area, which is a portion of the South Road Properties (SRP) near the Sugbu building.

Raquel Arce, market administrator, said that task force members, who include personnel from the city police office, fire department, market, city treasurers office, anti-squatting team and legal office, were already deployed in the city starting yesterday.

“Our operations for now will be done at random, based on reports from our operatives and the public,” said Arce.

The task force was formed after the City Council passed an ordinance regulating the sales of firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

According to the ordinance sponsored by Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., only class 1 fireworks and pyrotechnic devices can be sold inside shopping malls.

These include those equipped with a cap, smoke device like the party popper, table bomb, throw down (bawang or triangulo), novelty match (watusi), nonhand-held sparkler, hand-held sparkler, cracker snap and serpent.

However, class 2 and 3 fireworks and pyrotechnic devices are those suitable for outdoor use and may cause injury to people standing within five meters (class 2) or 25 meters (class 3) should be sold only at the designated area for firecracker vendors at the SRP.

These include the banger (Judas belt), fountain, Roman candle, mine, wheel (trompillo), rocket, combination, shell and shell in mortar, among others.

The ordinance states that before one can sell classes 1, 2 and 3 fireworks, a license or permit should be secured from the chief of the Philippine National Police through the provincial director of the province where the business project is located.

Violators of the ordinance will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 or an imprisonment of not more than six months but not less than three months or both, upon the discretion of the court, will be imposed on those who violate the ordinance.

The vendors’ firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices will also be confiscated and turned over to the PNP.

The designated firecracker vending area at the SRP will be opened starting Dec. 15.

Arce said the vending area could only  accommodate 80 stalls that would be situated 6 to 7 meters away from each other.

Arce said they were still arranging the assignment of two vehicles that would bring buyers to the SRP display area.

The vehicles will be assigned at pickup points near the Malacañang sa Sugbu and Mambaling access roads of the SRP.

“We are also asking to request for vehicles if they wanted to bring their constituents to the SRP to avail of carnival and other fun rides,” she said.

The city government is opening a carnival inside the Sugbu building compound as part of the Kasadya sa SRP celebration, which would also open on Dec. 15.