Firecracker-related injuries between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day went down by 64 percent year-on-year, the Department of Health said yesterday.
The Philippine National Police also recorded 27 cases of indiscriminate firing – up from the 20 recorded in 2023 – that resulted in five injuries.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Filipinos welcomed the new year in a “generally and relatively peaceful” way with no major untoward incidents.
“Overall, in our assessment, there was no significant untoward incident that disrupted our welcoming of the new year, although we did have incidents of injuries. But as a whole, it was generally peaceful and orderly,” she said.
Fajardo said a total of 593,094 illegal firecrackers have been seized, valued at P3.92 million, while 73 individuals were arrested for selling them.
For his part, DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo a total of 141 fireworks-related injuries were recorded between December 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025.
The Health department likewise logged a total of 340 firecracker related incidents from December 22, 2024 up to 6:00 a.m. of January 1, 2025 – 34 percent lower compared to the total of 519 cases recorded on January 1, 2024.
Most of the victims were aged 5 to 19 years old, accounting for a total of 239 out 340 cases, with 88 percent of them male.
Domingo reminded the public to see a doctor if they are wounded due to firecrackers to avoid tetanus infections.
“Fireworks are dirty wounds and you need to be seen by a doctor in case you’re a victim, no matter how small it is,” he said.
DOH also continued to warn the public to avoid picking up firecrackers that did not explode and to douse them with water to ensure safety when cleaning their surroundings.
Meanwhile, Manila’s air quality reached an “unhealthy” level on New Year’s Day, research data showed.
Swiss research firm IQAir said the air quality index in Manila was at 167, with particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) being the main pollutant.
This level is 15.7 times above the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, posing serious health risks as the particles can penetrate the bloodstream.
“PM2.5 particles are floating particulate matter in the air measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less. PM2.5 is so small it can be absorbed into the bloodstream upon inhalation. For this reason, it is typically the pollutant posing the greatest health threat,” IQAir explained.
Manila ranked 16th globally in air pollution out of 124 cities based on IQAirs live ranking as of 5:01 p.m. on January 1, 2025. Dhaka in Bangladesh topped the list during this time followed by Kabul, Afghanistan; Delhi, India; Lahore, Pakistan; and Kolkata, India.
The Top 5 least polluted cities on New Year’s Day were Detroit, Michigan in the United States; Toronto, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; Kuching, Malaysia; and Stockholm, Sweden.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Firecracker-induced injuries lower this year, says DOH.”
