Palace seeks to lessen possible job loss due to firecracker ban

In this December 2014 photo, firecrackers are displayed for sale in the streets Legazpi City, Albay, in preparation for the New Year celebration. —INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON PHOTO

Malacañang on Friday said it was looking on how to mitigate “the possible loss of jobs” as it prepared an executive order on the nationwide firecracker ban.

“A revised EO on the firecracker ban will be submitted. The concerned agencies will look into the proposal to regulate pyrotechnics to mitigate the possible loss of jobs and at the same time enable traditional celebration of festivities,” Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters in a text message.

The proposed national firecracker ban was discussed during the Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Thursday.

Even before he became President, Rodrigo Duterte was vocal on his plan to ban firecrackers nationwide to keep Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations safe for all Filipinos.

In his hometown Davao City where he served as mayor for over 22 years, Duterte signed in 2002 an ordinance prohibiting the production, possession, sale or use of firecrackers or pyrotechnics.

But in a recent statement, the Chief Executive said the decision to ban firecrackers in the country would be left to his Cabinet members.

“Jobs will be lost. So I would need the Cabinet to decide. It would be a Cabinet decision,” he earlier said.