Members of EcoWaste Coalition sound off safe and environmentally friendly ways of greeting the New Year in a parade in Quezon City on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. ECOWASTE COALITION PHOTO
There are better and safer ways to greet the New Year than with firecrackers, an environmentalist group said.
EcoWaste Coalition said the public should observe the following for a safe and non-toxic New Year revelry:
1. No setting off of firecrackers
2. No firing of guns
3. No using of ‘boga’ which is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
4. No burning of tires
5. No open burning of garbage, and
6. No lighting of sky lanterns.
On Friday, Dec. 30, the group organized a community parade in Quezon City called “Iwas Paputoxic” to campaign for a safer New Year.
“As 2016 is about to end, we urge our community leaders and their constituents to go all out for a harmless celebration of the New Year sans firecrackers,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“Firecrackers are dangerous as hell,” she warned, pointing out previous incidents of horrific burns, serious infections, ghastly wounds, amputated fingers, damaged eyes and fires resulting from firecracker explosions, as well as poisoning cases due to the ingestion of firecrackers such as watusi.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), firecracker related injuries have reached 115 of which most of the victims are children as young as three years old.
Aside from causing injuries, firecrackers also pollute the environment.
Pulmonologist Dr. Maricar Limpin said, “Setting off firecrackers will release toxic fumes filled with assorted environmental toxicants and obnoxious particles that irritates the respiratory system, especially among young children, the elderly and chronic asthma sufferers.”
She noted the rise of atmospheric pollutants such as particulate matters during the New Year revelry.
Limpin is executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines and member of the Board of Regents of the Philippine College of Physicians.
Hundreds of community members joined the parade. Some carried mock giant firecrackers with the words “dangerous,” “deadly” and “dirty” written on them.
The participants also showed alternative noisemakers, which included maracas made from empty pineapple juice cans, shakers from used plastic bottles with pebbles, and the all-time favorite torotot.
Others made noise using kitchen utensils such as pots and pot lids.
Among the groups that joined the parade were the Barangay Project 6 Lupon, Bureau of Fire Protection, Ernesto Rondon High School Students and Parent-Teacher Association, Red Cross Ernesto Rondon High School Chapter, Federation of Senior Citizens, Kariton Klasrum Group, Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus, Luntiang Kababaihan, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Lay Ministers, Police Community Precinct Masambong Station 2, Pet Lovers Advocates of Project 6, Project 6 Basketball Association, Project 6 Dancers, Project 6 Elementary School SPTA, Project 6 Elementary School Boy/Girl Scouts, Project 6 Task Force Youth, Project 6 Tennis Club, Project 6 TESDA Group, Project 6 Waste Management Group, Rotary Club of North Edsa D3780, Tambuli Group, Trippers Philippines Group 2 and the 55-ers Sunday Club.
Earlier, EcoWaste Coalition and the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) held an anti-firecracker rally to stress the dangers firecrackers posed to pets.