Safer celebration

More reports of firecracker-related injuries have been reported, raising the number of cases for the New Year revelry. The number, however, remains lower than in previous years. The same goes for injuries from indiscriminate gunfire. As of yesterday, no death related to the revelry had been reported.

With the revelry over, health professionals are now on tetanus watch. Those injured by pyrotechnics must be made aware of the symptoms of tetanus so they can get timely treatment.

Thanks to tighter regulation of firecracker use, the number of injuries in fact has been going down steadily in recent years. Those who grew up greeting the New Year with a bang miss the noise, but Filipinos are increasingly taking to heart the admonition that it’s better to be safe than sorry.

After seeing a considerable drop in sales, local pyrotechnics manufacturers are adapting to Filipinos’ changing ways of celebrating the New Year, dropping most firecrackers from their product lines and concentrating on improving the quality of their fireworks so they can compete with imports. Local products are cheaper than the imported items, but most of the imports have superior quality. This must be matched by local manufacturers at a lower price.

With support from the government, the local pyrotechnics industry can even aim for export markets. Filipino artistry can be designed into local fireworks. Bocaue, Bulacan – the center of the country’s pyrotechnics industry – can become an export manufacturing hub.

Proper enforcement of laws governing illegal firecrackers as well as heightened public awareness of the risks brought down the number of injuries during the New Year revelry. The number can continue going down in the next years and the annual revelry can continue safely without sounding the death knell for the local pyrotechnics industry.