7 New Year injuries in Quezon

LUCENA CITY – Only seven New Year revelers were reported injured in Lopez town and Lucena City in Quezon province, police said Wednesday.

Report from the Quezon police headquarters said Noel Macaraig, 47; Omar Buena, 24; Abaca Raymund Beroya, 35; Lenny Beth Punay, 32; and Franken Holger, 38, were admitted to different hospitals in Lucena City due to minor injuries from fireworks and 5-star explosive.

In Lopez town, Gabriel Zurbano, 31, and Jerome Cortez, sustained minor injuries caused by fireworks.

Report said the low figures were the result of intensified and widespread police public safety campaign during the holiday.

Quezon police had been conducting the campaign on mainstream and social media platforms like Facebook.

All Facebook pages of different municipal police stations carried advisory posters and gory photos of firecrackers victims to remind the public on the dangers posed by the use of illegal firecrackers.

Local government public information officers have also been busy radio hopping for a public appeal for a safe celebration by promoting alternative forms of merry making in welcoming the New Year. Delfin T. Mallari Jr., @dtmallarijrINQ, Inquirer Southern Luzon