HEALTH Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial on Tuesday hoped President Rodrigo Duterte would soon sign the department’s proposed executive order on regulating the use of firecrackers or the firecrackers firing act.
“We are expecting that within this month, we can push for Malacañang’s issuance [of the EO], so we can avoid all the unnecessary injuries [from firecrackers],” Ubial said.
She explained their determination to have the proposed EO signed stems from the fact that while the number of firecracker-related injuries from the recent celebration was lower compared to figures in the past 10 years, these injuries still resulted in disability, pain and misery.
She noted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources strongly supported the signing of the proposed EO due to the negative impact of firecrackers on the environment.
Duterte was supposed to sign the order last year but postponed it in consideration of those whose livelihood depends on the manufacture of firecrackers.
The EO would further reduce the number of injuries from firecrackers, Ubial said, noting that floating the idea of a presidential order on the ban on firecrackers had actually deterred people from lighting them, contributing to the drop in the number of injuries during the recent holidays.
“[Some people in the provinces] had the impression that somehow they would be caught and punished if they use fireworks or firecrackers,” she said.
The health chief said the proposed EO would help the authorities monitor the indiscriminate firing of guns during the New Year revelry.
Without firecrackers, it would be easier to hear the shots from guns, she said, pointing out that many victims and their families have admitted they were surprised to learn they were injured by stray bullets.
As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, the health department had recorded 581 fireworks-related injuries.
The figure is lower by 323 or 36 percent compared to the same period last year.
More than 50 percent of the injuries however involved children, the youngest of whom was barely one year old.
