Firecracker makers appeal to government

STA. MARIA, Bulacan—Officials of the Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI) have asked the government to stop scaring away their customers with its antifirecracker campaign at the start of the yuletide season.

Vimie Erise, PPMDAI president, said on Sunday the government should instead educate the public on the proper use of pyrotechnic  products.

“I wish the government would try to help our industry for a change by teaching the public the proper use of pyrotechnic products instead of showing hands that have been blasted by firecrackers. They do that every year but it has not stopped the tradition of using firecrackers to celebrate the new year,” she said.

She said the government had been attacking the local pyrotechnics industry, which was legalized in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7183, the law that regulates the manufacture and sale of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic products.

“Every year this has been the issue confronting our trade. Our business is legal but many sectors have pooled their resources to shut us down. I hope the government slows down and realizes how its campaigns have disadvantaged us,” she said. Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon