BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said the city is starting to reap the fruits of a previous difficult to decision to ban the sale of firecrackers in the city with the resulting zero casualty in the country’s undisputed Summer Capital during the Yuletide revelry.
The local chief executive also commended the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) for confiscating over P9,500 worth of firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials being openly sold in the city a day before the new year that when used, could have inflicted unnecessary injuries for those who wanted to enjoy the coming of a new year with a bang.
“The achievement of a zero casualty in our city during the Yuletide revelry only shows that our decision to impose a total ban on the sale of firecrackers in the city was right from the start even though it was a difficult decision considering the persistent lobby of the group of firecracker vendors to pursue their trade in the city,” Domogan stressed.
From December 21, 2018 to January 6, 2019, there were no firecracker and pyrotechnic material-related injuries recorded in the different hospitals and health centers of the city because of the vigilance of residents and visitors alike.
Domogan started imposing the total ban on the sale of firecrackers in the city over four years ago that contributed in reducing the number of victims of firecracker and pyrotechnic materials until the ideal zero casualty was achieved during the previous Yuletide revelry.
He expressed his gratitude to all the residents in the city’s 128 barangays who heeded the call of the local government and concerned government agencies not to use firecrackers in welcoming the new year but use other modes of creating noise in celebrating the coming of a new year.
According to him, law enforcers also played a key role in achieving the zero casualty on firecracker-related incidents because of their vigilance, vendors who tried to sneak in the city and sell firecrackers were not able to do so although there were some enterprising vendors who were able to do so.
He called on the members of the local legislative body to now pass the pending ordinance banning the sale of firecrackers in the city now that residents proved zero casualty due to firecracker-related incidents could be achieved, and for the local government to establish a centralized community fireworks display during the Yuletide revelry in the coming years where residents and visitors could converge and welcome the new year.
The city mayor claimed that while there were some residents who purchased firecrackers outside the city and exploded the same during the Yuletide revelry, most people adhered to his appeal to refrain from using firecrackers, especially the banned ones, in the celebration of the Yuletide revelry resulting to a resounding success worthy of emulation in the coming years.
By Dexter A. See
