Less firecracker explosions

Unlike the past years when loud explosions of firecrackers would dominate the silence of the night in welcoming the new year, this time the noise generated by firecrackers explosions dramatically decreased.

The loud explosion and the thick smoke were noticeably minimal and no longer posed a serious threat to one's health. Or maybe because many people have finally realized that the use of firecrackers may cause the amputation of one's limbs, or bring forth unnecessary loss of lives.

Allow me to mention here the existing law that regulates the manufacture of firecrackers. "A zone shall be designated by the local government unit where a manufacturing complex may be established. The outer perimeter of this zone shall be at least three hundred (300) meters away from the nearest residential unit. Once a zone has been defined, no residential unit shall be permitted nearer than three hundred (300) meters from the perimeter of such zone." -- Section 7 paragraph (a) of Republic Act No. 7183 otherwise known as "An Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and other Pyrotechnic Devices."

For the information of our avid readers, the aforecited law was approved on January 30, 1992 during the incumbency of then president Corazon C. Aquino.

Last year, a firecracker manufacturing complex went up in flames and exploded, killing five factory workers. We can only condole with the affected family that lost many of its members. Needless to say, this should not have happened in the first place. The local police is primarily responsible for the monitoring and random inspection of these firecrackers factories in their respective area of jurisdiction ensuring that the latter fully comply with all the requirements in the operation of their business as mandated by law taking into account the safety aspect of all the workers involved.

More often than not (except those who are compliant), some owners of these firecracker factories ignore and deliberately violate the law with regard to the appropriate location and the required safe distance in storing the equipment and chemicals used in the making of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.

For the longest time, we understand that some of our brothers and sisters have been engaged with this kind of livelihood disregarding the risks involved (either they suffer injury or loss of lives), because it's their only means of livelihood to feed their families and to send their children to school. But safety in the workplace should take precedence over that of having big earnings and the desire to have the needed amount of money to survive.

In the early ‘60’s, a man named Julian Pongasi was the one who introduced and pioneered the making of firecrackers/ pyrotechnics at barangay Babag II in LapuLapu City. In an interview by one of the most popular radio broadcasters in Cebu, Mr. Pongasi said that he learned and got his skill in making firecrackers from a friend in Bocaue, Bulacan, in Central Luzon.

When he came back to barangay Babag, he shared his skill and taught many of his friends and neighbors how to make firecrackers and today, there are now a considerable number of firecracker factory owners with license to operate. And they continue to engage with this kind of business, even though many of them suffered enormous losses when their stock and inventory got damaged by heavy rains, typhoons, and fires. And not to be forgotten, countless factory workers were said to have perished in the workplace.

Unlike in Davao City where a total ban of exploding firecrackers is still in effect to this day, in Cebu it is quite different. There is no total prohibition in the use of firecrackers to welcome the new year; however, firecrackers enthusiasts are to make sure that they lit firecrackers in designated areas only and not in any place as they wanted it to explode.

In conclusion, let me paraphrase a portion of the homily as shared to us by our parochial vicar: "Do not be swayed by an age-old superstition that exploding firecrackers to welcome the new year would drive away evil spirits. Rather, accept the truth that if you are not careful enough in using them, you would surely lose one of your limbs or fingers. Aside from that, you would pollute the air with the thick smoke caused by the firecrackers explosions. Enough is enough for this Chinese superstitious belief."