Decline in New Year injuries elates Palace

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

President Rodrigo Duterte expressed delight over the sharp decrease in firecracker-related injuries during the New Year celebration this year, a Palace official said Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the decline only proved that Filipinos can celebrate with lesser firecrackers, noting that Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) 28 played a huge part in the drop.

READ: Duque says EO 28 helped us celebrate a safer New Year

“Napatunayan natin ngayon bilang isang bayan, bilang isang bansa, na pupwede naman pala tayo magdiwang ng hindi nawawalan ng daliri, hindi nabubulag, dahil ‘yan sa mga ilegal na paputok,” Roque said.

(We have proven that as a nation, as a country, we can celebrate without losing a finger or losing eyesight because of illegal firecrackers.)

“So syempre po tuwang tuwa ang Presidente na napakakonti na ngayon ng mga nasugatan, pero nais natin ay talagang tuluyan na wala nang masusugatan, masasaktan dahil sa pagdiriwang ng Bagong Taon,” he added

(The President is happy that injuries have decreased, but what we really want is to have zero injuries, casualties during the celebration of the New Year.)

The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 191 firecracker-related injuries from December 21, 2017 to January 1, 2018.

It went down from 350 injuries in the same period from last year, or a 68-percent drop.

It’s the biggest reduction recorded so far, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. /jpv

READ: DOH notes decline in firecracker-related injuries with 191 cases