President Rodrigo Duterte says he will let local government officials limit or ban fireworks in greeting the New Year, but that he does not want to deprive firecracker manufacturers of their livelihood.
He made the statement in a late public address on Monday night in Davao city, saying he would only allow firecrackers if those were produced by the government.
“It would be the mayor himself and the chief of police who should do this. For those who want fireworks, we’ll only allow it if it’s done by the government, Duterte said.
“As a compromise to firecracker manufacturers, I will hold off the imposition of a complete national ban on firecracker use so as not to deprive firecracker manufacturers of their livelihood.”
Duterte said the mayors, with the help of the police, should see to it that all safety protocols were in place to prevent accidents. He said he wanted the Filipinos to safely enjoy New Year celebrations and at the same time keep the livelihood of those engaged in fireworks and firecracker manufacturing.
He urged firecracker manufacturers in Bocaue to make sure their products were sold only to law enforcement authorities.
Executive Order 28, issued by Duterte in 2017, has confined the use of firecrackers to community fireworks display areas to minimize injuries and casualties.
On Monday, the Department of Health reported a total of 50 fireworks-related injuries from Dec. 21, 2020, to Jan. 1, 2021, with no cases of firework ingestion and no deaths reported.
Of the 50 injuries, 49 were fireworks-related and one was due to a stray bullet. This figure is 85 percent lower than the 340 total cases reported last year.