The low supply of firecrackers from manufacturers in Bocaue ahead of the year-end revelry have forced vendors to increase their prices by 30 percent, a firecracker vendor said Tuesday.
Ding Dinglasan says it is only this year that Bocaue, the firecracker capital of the Philippines, has experienced a firecracker shortage.
He made his statement even as dzBB radio said 13 firecracker-related injuries have been recorded in the last few days, which is 61-percent lower than the comparative figure last year.
Over at the Health department, Secretary Francisco Duque III says officials led by Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje have visited some hospitals to evaluate their readiness to treat fireworks-related injuries.
READ: 1st fireworks-related injury in Nueva Ecija
“Our hospitals should be ready for any eventualities during this holiday celebration when alcohol and fireworks sometimes become the center of merriment,” Duque said.
Dinglasan told UNTV that many firecracker manufacturers did not deliver additional stocks, and these included Arial, Platinum, and Diamond.
“Dadalawa na lang. Dati lima iyan talaga,” Dinglasan said.
“[Iyong] Arial hinahanap ng ibang tao pero wala na. Iyong Platinum marami ring naghahanap noon dahil magandang brand. Kaya lang wala rin silang parating, Iyong Diamond naman mga fountain lang kaya hahanapin yun.”
Firecrackers like the so-called sawa now sells for P700 from the previous P500 per 2,000 rounds; P450 (from P300) per 1,000 rounds; and P200 (from P150) per 500 rounds.
Decorative lighting devices, meanwhile, now sell at P25,000 for every 200 shoots, a P5,000 increase from previous price; P5,000 (from P3,500) for every 100 shoots; P2,500 (from P2,000) for every 49 shoots; and P800 (from P500) for every 16 shoots.
Sparklers now sell at P35 (from P30) for each bundle while the fountain now costs P50 (from P25) for every piece.
“Expected naman na mataas kasi kulang ang mga supply talaga. Mas maraming stock dati kaysa ngayon,” said Marcelo Angeles, a Marcelo Fireworks Dealer.
Still, firecracker vendors are looking forward to the surge of buyers starting Dec. 27 until Dec. 31, when the demand for firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices peaks.
READ: Du30 suspends issuance of new licenses for ‘cracker’ makers