Police on Monday warned New Year revelers that using illegal firecrackers is punishable under Republic Act 7183.
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The National Capital Region Police Office offered this reminder after it destroyed confiscated illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnics at the Central Police District-Kamuning Police Station over the weekend.
The prohibited items, worth more than P103,000, were found during series of inspections in Metro Manila.
NCRPO director Debold Sinas said his men confiscated the prohibited items also based on Malacañang Memorandum Order No. 31, directing the police and other concerned agencies to strictly implement existing laws, rules and regulations on the sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.
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“Despite the law prohibiting the sale of dangerous firecrackers, there are still those who try to sell these outlawed items,” Sinas said.
Republic Act 7183, the law regulating the sale, manufacture, and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, prohibit such firecrackers as Super Lolo, Goodbye Earth, Goodbye De Lima, Goodbye Napoles, Mother Rocket, Large Bawang, Judas Belt, Giant Whistle Bomb, Lolo Thunder, Atomic Bomb, Atomic Triangle, Piccolo, Bin Laden, Pillbox, improvised PVC cannons known as “boga” and other unlabelled firecrackers.
Violators face fines of P20,000 to P30,000 or imprisonment from six months to a year.
The government urged the public to celebrate the New Year as peacefully and safely as possible.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, meanwhile, urged the public to help build a fresh tradition of welcoming the New Year without the pollution and danger from firecrackers and fireworks.
“Let the culture change we seek to create in the Boracay and Manila Bay rehabilitations likewise give birth to a New Year celebration that is safe and environment-friendly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Justina Gabuyo, director of the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. and proprietor of Global Fireworks and Trading in Bulacan, noted there were fewer buyers this year compared to previous years.
“Some of my customers said that there have been reports that fireworks stores here have already stopped operations and that maybe the reason for the slow start of our business,” she said.
Gabuyo said that before, majority of fireworks stores in Bocaue would start to operate on a 24-hour basis around Dec. 15.
But this year, she said most of the stores began their 24-hour operation only after Christmas Day.
Gabuyo also said prices of firework products are lower this year compared to the previous years.
She particularly cited as an example a three-deck pagoda which sells for an average of P600 compared to P800 last year; two-deck pagoda for P400 from the previous P600; and the one-deck pagoda for P150 compared to last year’s P250. With Rio N. Araja and PNA
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