Stiffer measures needed to stop piccolo importation

January 6, 2017

Injuries every year from using illegal firecrackers have not stiffened resolve of authorities to go after those who import piccolo, the main source of injuries as people welcome the New Year.

“The DOH (Department of Health) is not in a position as an agency to file cases or to file any complaint against the Bureau of Customs because they are under a different agency,” said Health Undersecretary Gerard Bayugo.

“We can understand that the BOC (Bureau of Customs) is not that hi-tech. They cannot subject everything to X-ray. It is difficult to speak for them, we cannot speak of their capabilities,” said Senior Superintendent Conrado Gongon, explosive management division chief of the Philippine National Police.

Piccolo, which is imported from China, costs  P50 a box which 50 pieces of this firecracker.

Based on the final Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction (APIR) 2016 report of the DOH released Friday, a total of 192 injuries were caused by Piccolo, or 31 percent of the total number of firecracker-related injuries.

Gongon said they intend to file cases against  44 retailers they arrested for selling illegal firecrackers.

“There were apprehensions numbering to 44 during the series of operation… we will file cases against them,” said Gongon. Violators  shall be punished by a fine of P20,000 to P30,000 as well as imprisonment of six months to one year.

There were lower  firecracker-related incidents with 630, from the period of December 21, 2016 to January 5, 2017.

The APIR 2016 report shows that the figure is 292 cases or 32 percent fewer from year-ago.

“This is also the lowest number of firecracker injuries we have recorded since 2005, when we had established the current surveillance system of 50 sentinel hospitals,” said DOH spokesman Eric Tayag.

It includes 627 firecracker-related injuries and three fireworks ingestion incidents.

No deaths have been reported.

In his Twitter account Tayag said 351 cases, or about 56 percent, were reported from children aged 15 years and below. In the New Year’s briefing, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said she is distressed by the high number of injuries from teeners.

Other firecrackers and pyrotechnics which caused injuries are Kwitis with 89 (14%); Luces ( sparklers) with 38 (6 percent); and 5-Star and Fountain with 32 each (5%).

Hand injuries remained as the most common with 330 (53 percent), followed by eye injuries with 115 (18 percent). Nineteen cases required amputation.

The National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest number of cases with 340 (54 percent); followed by Western Visayas with 78 (12 percent); and Central Luzon with 47 (7 percent).

In Metro Manila, having the highest number of cases are Manila with 112 (33 percent); Quezon City with 76 (22 percent); and Marikina City with 27 (8 percent).  DMS