THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Mandaue City has started conducting seminars in 27 barangays in the city to educate the public of the danger in using fireworks.
Sherwin Porcia, chief of fire safety enforcement section, said the seminars is part of BFP’s Oplan Iwas Paputok campaign.
Seminars have been done in barangays Guizo, Bakilid, Tipolo and Banilad.
“We are discouraging the public to use the firecrackers to avoid accidents,” said Porcia.
Porcia said they have been checking areas in Mandaue where firecrackers are sold but found none so far.
Senior Supt. Petronelli Baldebrin, chief of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said police were tasked to confiscate firecrackers and pyrotechnics sold outside the designated area.
Petronelli said the Mandaue police have yet to monitor vendors illegaly selling firecrackers and pyrotechnics.
No one has applied for a permit to sell pyrotechnics in the designated area located at the Mandaue reclamation area near the New Mandaue Public Market.
Dragon fireworks and two of its sister companies already have permits to sell in malls.
Porcia said it could be that the vendors were discouraged to sell firecrackers since the designated area is not accessible to the public.
Porcia recalled an incident a few hours before Christmas in 2009 where a pregnant woman and two children were killed after a stall selling fireworks caught fire when a wayward firecracker fell on the display.
City administrator James Abadia said each barangay will conduct information drive where they will encourage the public to use alternative materials in making noise instead of using firecrackers.
Police will also coordinate with the BFP in monitoring the selling of imported firecrackers.
Under section 6 of the Republic Act 7183 states that “only duly licensed manufactures shall be allowed to import chemicals or explosive ingredients used in the manufacture of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.”/CORRESPONDENT JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS WITH A REPORT FROM TWEENY M. MALINAO