DOH starts campaign on OPLAN: Iwas Paputok

• Source: https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1016409
• Monday, December 24, 2018

By Sheena Pabia (PIA10 intern)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--The Department of Health (DOH) Region 10 spearheaded its campaign on OPLAN: Iwas Paputok during Talakayan sa PIA on December 20 held at SM CDO Downtown Premier.

Together with the regional task force and local government of Cagayan de Oro, Dr. David Mendoza, chief, Local Health Support Division of DOH emphasized their role in the task force is on the surveillance side.

“We have now created fireworks related injury,” he said. With this surveillance system, Mendoza said, we will be monitoring the use of fireworks, type being used and injuries related to fireworks. This will transcend to policy and to be implemented later with our partner agencies, he added.

“Kung nabuthan, na samdan, adto ta sa among mga hospitals. Ang amo is more on human health. – If you are injured, go to our hospitals. We are on human health,” he said.

He also emphasized that their goal for next year is zero casualties. It is really possible, he said.

One, there should be cooperation of agencies involved. Two, based on the previous trends from the previous year’s up to last year, there had been a decrease of injuries. In 2017, we had 62% decrease in the number of cases of firework related injury, Mendoza said.

In 2016, we had 28 injuries and in 2017, only 10, he added.

“Ang atong tumong og tinguha is how can we sustain nga munaog na? – Our goal is how can we sustain that the numbers will still go down?” Mendoza reiterated.

He added, in terms of readiness of our hospitals, “Bahalag ma desgrasya basta dili mamatay. – No matter the person gets injured, as long as he or she will not die.” All our hospitals, government or private should be ready.

Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro has a special lane for fireworks related injury to ensure zero casualty. “Mag saba-saba ta using all kinds of saba except pabuto. – We will make all kinds of noise except firecrackers.”

Based on the law, there are only select kinds of fireworks allowed for use. Mendoza revealed, it is very small and it is an illegal firecracker but still the number one cause of injury during Yueltide season, Picolo. Next is Kwitis.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) City Director Jane Docallos, also shared they have identified a specific area in the city allowed solely for the trade of fireworks and firecrackers in the city at Rodelsa/Rotunda area.

She reiterated, there are two types of illegal selling of fireworks either they don’t have a special permit or they are selling an illegal item.

The task force in Cagayan de Oro, she announced will have surprise raid. We are also requesting retailers to tell us if there are other retailers selling illegal firecrackers.

DILG has allowed brgy. Tanods with the help of the police to confiscate the items. Among the problems is that these illegal firecrackers have been included to sell in the sar-sari store, Docallos said.

Atty. Fel Brillantes, legal officer and chief of Consumer Welfare Division of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) region 10 said selling of firecrackers is regulated not prohibited.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has a list for what kind of firecrackers allowed to be sold. In terms of standard, he said, PNP will measure gun powder content. Measurement is one teaspoon or 1.3 grams more or less. If it exceeds the allowable or tolerable gun powder, then that can be declared illegal.

“Ang problema nato is as consumers, we will never know kung unsai sulod ana sa gun powder content. – The problem with us consumers is we will never know what is inside the gun powder content,” Atty Brillantes said.

So consumers will look into if the manufacturer is legal. If the firecracker is imported, that is an absolute no. “Bawal ang mga imported firecrackers. – Imported firecrackers is illegal,” he reiterated. But if locally manufactured, DTI comes in because DTI regulates the manufacturers.

In Cagayan de Oro, there are no firecrackers manufacturers here, he said. Most likely they are from Bucaue Bulacan, maybe also from Bohol, Ilio-ilo and some parts of Cebu. But we make sure that what are sold in the market should be from authorized or licensed manufacturers.

The role of the government is very important but equally important is the role of the consumers because if we patronize the buying of these products of illegal source, of course they will flourish, Brillantes said.

“So dako kaayo ang responsibility sa consumer. – The consumer has a big responsibility,” he added. Since 2013, DTI has already helped in this campaign, but with the release of Executive Order 28 of President Rodrigo Duterte providing for the regulation and control of the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, he said, they were happy about it.