Health Secretary Enrique Ona
Health authorities on Sunday were just a little bit happy to announce that New Year’s Eve revelry-related injuries this year were slightly lower than last year’s with 476 incidents, of which 454 were caused by firecracker blasts, 18 by stray bullets and four by firecracker ingestion.
The preliminary data for the December 21 to January 1 period was 13 percent lower than the 546 cases reported last year, and 11 percent lower when compared with the five-year annual average.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that though authorities had hoped to significantly decrease the number of firecracker-related injuries this year, the 13-percent reduction was still a feat.
“We’d rather look at the glass half-full … we’ve managed to bring the injuries down this year and hopefully it will go down more in the coming years,” Ona told a press briefing.
But the reduced figure was still painful for the government’s coffers. Ona said the government will have to shell out from P10 million to P15 million for the hospital care of those injured.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier estimated that it spends from P3,000 to P50,000 for every firecracker-related injury.
Aside from the accidents brought about by the indiscriminate use of firecrackers and celebratory gunfire, the DOH also worried about the effects on public health of the heavy smog that descended on the metropolis.
A number of flights had to be canceled or diverted to Clark airport in Pampanga because of the smog, a type of air pollution that can be detrimental to children and the elderly, particularly those with respiratory conditions.
It also didn’t help that Sunday’s weather was dry and brought no wind, he noted. “The smog is worsened by the fact that there’s no wind and no rain so it’s on a standstill,” Ona said.
The DOH is expecting an increase in hospital admissions or consultations among people with respiratory conditions and allergies, said Ona who advised residents to drive out of the metropolis until the smog has evaporated.
Caused by legal fireworks
Ona said the DOH would be considering this in coming up with a strategy to not only reduce firecracker-related injuries but also ease the effects of firecracker use on the health and environment in the coming years.
He said the government must also study the classification of fireworks as half the number of injuries were caused by so-called “legal fireworks.”
The “piccolo,” which had been banned in the market, was still the No. 1 culprit, accounting for 150 cases, or 33 percent of the injuries.
But 228 injuries, or 50 percent, were caused by fireworks allowed by law: “kwitis” accounted for 16 percent; fountain, 7 percent; five-star, 5 percent; and “luces,” 5 percent.
Stray bullet injuries
“Still worrisome is the number of injuries from stray bullets … we really need to impose stricter control on indiscriminate firing of guns to avoid these injuries on hapless individuals,” said Ona.
The DOH monitored 18 accidents caused by stray bullets, which was 22 percent lower than in the same period last year.
More than half of the cases reported were in Metro Manila (298 or 66 percent) followed by Calabarzon (29 cases or 6 percent), and Ilocos (28 or 6 percent).
As usual, many of the injured were children below 10 years old, accounting for 37 percent of the total. Those aged between 11 and 20 years old accounted for 27 percent of the victims, Ona noted.
The final count of the injured would be available only after January 5, he said. “We are hoping for a 25 to 30 percent reduction by the end of our count,” said Ona.
Stray bullets
Firecracker blast victims may have dropped, but the number of injuries caused by stray bullets increased in Quezon City, police reported.
According to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) records, only 27 people were reported to have sustained wounds from firecracker blasts and were treated at various hospitals in the city. By comparison, there were 87 such injuries last year.
But four people were injured from stray bullets in Quezon City over the weekend, while only three were reported in the same period last year.
Random paraffin tests
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo had ordered random paraffin tests conducted on a number of police officers for gunpowder residue after they were reported to have fired their guns during the New Year revelry.
He said he received the reports through text messages and had given the names of the police personnel involved to the Philippine National Police.
Those who test positive of gunpowder residue will not be automatically charged administratively, but will be asked to explain why they fired their guns. “Those who have no clear explanation will be held accountable,” Robredo said.
PNP field investigators will gather any empty shells recovered from the 18 stray bullet victims to compare them with the ballistics records of firearms licensed by the PNP.
Even with some 500 people injured during the New Year’s celebrations, Robredo said he was “generally satisfied” with the outcome of authorities’ efforts to confiscate dangerous firecrackers.
He said they would collate data to see where firecracker victims were concentrated, so they could focus their campaign in these areas next year.
Robredo said he was in favor of a total ban on firecrackers, rather than just regulating dangerous firecrackers. A law against firecracker use could be passed by local councils—as was done by Davao City—or by Congress, he said.
The regions
At least 272 people were hurt in firecracker blasts while 9 were injured by stray bullets as Northern and Central Luzon welcomed the New Year.
In Central Luzon, police and disaster response agencies recorded at least 200 firecracker-related injuries from December 21 to January 1.
In the Ilocos region, eight people were hit by stray bullets in Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, police said.
Police reports said at least 41 people were hurt by exploding firecrackers in the region.
In Cagayan Valley, police said a man from Tuguegarao City was hit and wounded by a stray bullet while at least 10 people were hurt by firecracker blasts in Isabela and Cagayan.
In the Cordillera, the DOH recorded 21 blast victims from December 21 to January 1 in Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ifugao and Baguio City.
By contrast, Olongapo City was generally quiet on New Year’s Eve because of a firecracker ban. More than 1,000 revelers flocked to the Subic Bay Freeport to watch the annual fireworks display instead.
Dr. Arlindo Tamayo, city health department head, said only three firecracker-related injuries were recorded in Olongapo.
Donations instead of blasts
In Lucena City, the noise was muted and short as many heeded the appeal for donations for victim of Tropical Storm “Sendong” in Northern Mindanao.
“My family donated our traditional budget for firecrackers to the typhoon victims. The clan just banged pot covers and garbage cans. I set the volume of my rock music to full volume and that’s it,” said government employee Felicisimo Mendoza.
Superintendent Ramon Balauag, Lucena police chief, said only two firecracker casualties were reported in the city.
Noticeable drop
Injuries from firecracker and pyrotechnic blasts also noticeably dropped across the three southern Luzon regions of Bicol, Calabarzon and Mimaropa, health and police officials said.
Bicol reported 32 and Mimaropa 6 injuries, police said.
In Calabarzon, there were 30 firecracker injuries reported in Cavite and 20 in Rizal, accounting for more than half of the 70 reported in the region.
In Laguna, provincial health officer Dr. Alsaneo Lagos said five people were brought to the provincial hospital in Sta. Cruz on Saturday evening, in addition to the 10 recorded since the start of the holidays.
Only 10 cases of firecracker blast injuries were reported in five government hospitals in Quezon province, according to Dr. Agripino Tullas, Quezon provincial health officer.
In the Visayas, at least 65 firecracker blast injuries were reported in the cities of Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban and Bacolod.
Most number of victims
Cebu had the most number of firecracker blast cases at 32, followed by Bacolod, 16, Iloilo, 10 and Leyte, 7.
Six people in Cebu and one in Iloilo were hit by stray bullets. With reports from Dona Pazzibugan and Nancy Carvajal, Metro Manila; Tonette Orejas, Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Armand Galang and Robert Gonzaga, Inquirer Central Luzon; Yolanda Sotelo, Villamor Visaya Jr., Marla Viray and Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Delfin Mallari Jr., Maricar Cinco, Fernan Gianan and Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon; and Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Carla P. Gomez, Jhunnex Napallacan and Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas