Ban firecrackers for ‘safer holiday season’ in PH, gov’t asked

FILE PHOTO: Firecrackers and pyrotechnic products store owners are expecting last-minute shoppers to buy their limited supplies for the New Year revelry. The firecrackers and pyrotechnic products shops are located at a designated zone in Bocaue, Bulacan. INQUIRER/LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — A group advocating for sound chemicals and waste management called for a nationwide ban on the sale and use of firecrackers during the holidays.

According to the group BAN Toxics, prohibiting firecrackers may help prevent injuries related to firecrackers and protect the environment.

“We support a shift to a safer holiday season in the country. We need to remember ‘safety first’ for our children and the community from the health and environmental pollutants from firecrackers,” said Thony Dizon, Toxics Campaigner of BAN Toxics.

The group said that from 2009-2022, more than 40 local government units (LGUs) nationwide have issued local legislation on firecracker regulation.

On December 15, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos called on LGUs to enact ordinances for a total ban on firecrackers.

The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, mentioned that it recorded 226 firecracker-related injuries and confiscated an estimated P2.5 million worth of firecrackers in 2022.

“To ensure a safer celebration for the coming year, BAN Toxics urges the local government officials to enact an ordinance banning the sale and use of firecrackers to safeguard and protect human health, especially that of children and the environment,” the group stressed.