BAGUIO CITY-- Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city government is maintaining its long-running stance to discourage the sale and use of firecrackers this Christmas season.
The main goal is to achieve a zero firecracker-related casualty status in the city and entice people to embrace safe Christmas merrymaking and New Year revelry.
Mayor Magalong said that only community fireworks displays will be allowed subject to the issuance of a permit from the city government.
To discourage people from using firecrackers, the city had in the past years organized a community fireworks display to prevent possible accidents aside from minimizing smoke emission caused by the firecrackers.
This year, the city prepared a New Year’s Countdown program at the Melvin Jones featuring a concert by local bands and disc jockeys, bonfire, picnic and a grand fireworks display.
The firecracker ban is based on Ordinance No. 53 series of 2009 which prohibits the sale or explosion of firecrackers within the city limits except on special occasions such as fiestas, celebration of important events for which a written permit is granted by the City Mayor.
The prohibited firecrackers include big triangle, rebentador (5 star), watusi, pla-pla, pillbox, mother rocket, og, firecrackers without labels, and others of similar nature during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“There shall be a total ban at all times in the city of all kinds of firecrackers prohibited by the national law,” the measure stressed.
On such occasions when selling is allowed by authority of the mayor, fire safety measures will be adopted such as the sellers will be required to observe the following: the seller shall secure certification from the Bureau of Fire Protection; install fire safety equipment and devices along with a ‘No Smoking’ sign.
No testing of firecrackers must be done in the premises and that no overcrowding of products must be ensured.
Any firecracker devices that remain unfired after the display shall immediately be disposed of in a safe way.