Baguio City recorded a total of six firecracker-related injuries from its surveillance from Dec. 22, 2022 to Jan. 1, 2023.
City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said the blast injury victims were four males and two females. One case was reported on Dec. 25, 2022, two on Dec. 31 and three on Jan. 1, 2023.
Four were active cases and two were passive meaning the injury was not caused by the victim’s direct handling of the pyrotechnic devices.
Three of the victims sustained injuries caused by kwitis, two due to spraklers and one due to a roman candle. Injuries were on the eyes, hands, extremities and neck.
Three of the six were under the influence of liquor.
The city maintained its long-running stand to discourage the sale and use of firecrackers and instead mounted community activities for the revelry.
Last year, there were two incidents listed while in 2021, the city achieved a zero casualty status.
The city has an existing ordinance which bans the sale and use of certain firecrackers but it has been the hope of health authorities that the measure can be upgraded to implement a total ban on these pyrotechnic devices.
