Bid Super Lolo and Whistle Bomb Goodbye!
Goodbye Philippines! Goodbye Columbia! Goodbye World!
You are definitely reading it right. These are not a farewell remarks of this year's grand winner of an international beauty pageant. Definitely not the words of a rage-filled youth trying to make a statement. Nor a parting phrase of your favorite rock band after their last song at a concert.
These statements are some of the creative names to a number of firecrackers locally made, circulated, and sold at every streets or stalls throughout the country. They come ingenious and explosive and bigger every year as they can get. Yet be warned because these firecrackers are also some of the most dangerous and deadly substances m onitored and thankfully confiscated by the Philippine National Police (PNP). It is just alarming to point though that anyone, especially children can easily get a hold of these items from any marketplace or retail store so long as they can afford them.
This Filipino practice of welcoming the New Year with a bang is deeply-rooted in our tradition that anyone, literally anyone − an ordinary vendor or a small businessman, a high school student or a middle-aged employee, a curious kid or an experienced elderly − has used firecrackers, fireworks, or any form of pyrotechnic material or device. We are made to believe that loud noises will ward off evils and bad luck for the coming year, and so we welcome the New Year with earsplitting sounds, crackling noises, and few even indiscriminately firing guns. The idea is: the louder the blast and the harder the blowup, the better prospect of good life in the coming year, or is it really the case? There are also other people who regard themselves adrenaline junkies who use firecrackers to add excitement and thrill to their ways of celebrating the holiday.
It is appropriate and timely that the Department of Health (DOH) declared December 2016 as the 'Firecrackers Injury Prevention Month,' anticipating firecracker-related injuries to increase in the coming days as the holiday draws near. Thus the theme: “Iwas Paputok, Fireworks Display ang Patok! Makiisa Fireworks Display sa inyong lugar.” (Avoid Firecrackers, Fireworks Display is the new fad! Join the Fireworks Display in your area). As always the case every year, DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial pleadingly reminded the parents and children to avoid patronizing firecrackers and instead try other means of noisemaking.
Here are the alternative ways to celebrate the New Year without losing your arms, limbs or eyesight:
1. Health authorities highly recommend the practice of community fireworks display, where public and open spaces in communities are designated. These open spaces are organized by the local government units where people can gather to participate and witness their local fireworks display. Not only this option a cheaper alternative but it also enhances the bond of the community members by celebrating the holiday together with solemnity. Just imagine bringing a small-scale ve rsion ofthe Philippine International Pyromusical Competition right in your own hometown for everyone to see! DOH Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo also advise in favor of this practice saying that community fireworks display rarely causes injuries as compared to household use of firecrackers which sometimes leads to injuries or even fatalities;
2. Join street parties and community gatherings. The best experience one can get from celebrating the holiday is by sharing the taste, sights, and sound with other people, may it be your family or neighbors. After all, the bigger the crowd the better in making noises and creating sounds;
3. As an annual practice of precaution, the people are also encouraged to use other noisemaking devices or instruments such as boom box or stereo, torotot (trumpet), car horns, and the like. Not only these alternative safe and effective but also economical, as these noisemakers are either readily available, cheap, or reusable. These are also way effective and convenient compared to firecrackers which apart from being single-use only, also contain chemicals harmful to humans and animals alike once ingested and pose threats once lit;
4. If you insisted on using firecrackers in your own place, you still cannot just go around blasting things off with anything. The PNP has strict compliance on the allowed and legal firecrackers and pyrotechnic products you can use. These are Judas Belt, Baby Rocket, Bawang, Kwitis, Small Triangulo, Piccolo, Luces, Roman candle, Fountain, and the like. As a general rule, the PNP only allows pyrotechnics and firecrackers not exceeding 0.2 grams of gunpowder in it and the firecracker fuse should last between 3-6 seconds only. So if you are the type of person who would not go the distance measuring all the gunpowder contents in and fuse length of firecrackers, we suggest you not to buy and use firecrackers anymore.
'Code White Alert'
Every year inter-agency collaborations are set-up by DOH with PNP, local government units (LGUs), and non-government organizations (NGOs) to launch programs and actions to deter people, especially children from using firecrackers.
Amid the festive mood and merrymaking at the same time, our health workers are on 'Code White Alert' for the whole duration of the holiday celebration. Code White means all private and public hospitals are on standby and ready with complete staff and response team. This alert status is also used when an area is expecting heavy rainfall or natural calamity, so this situation is not something to be pranked about. However, if you do not listen to reason and insist on using firecrackers, do not expect warm acceptance and pampering once you seek medical attention from community hospitals. Injuries related to firecrackers could have been avoided in the first place if you heeded the nationwide call not to use firecrackers, fireworks, or any kind of pyrotechnic devices. Hospitals do not consider firecracker injuries as accident, because they are easily preventable by not using them at all.
Alas! Positive encouragement and scare tactics appeared to be less effective in stopping people from improper use of firecrackers. Although media coverage and inter-agency campaigns greatly help in educating the people about the dangers of improper and irresponsible use of firecrackers, they only serve as street signs, a kind of reminder for everyone's safety. Yet annually, days before we take down our old calendar for a new one, we bear witness to common emergency room scenes: children screaming their lungs out due to pain, remorseful faces of grownups because of possible amputation, and nurses with stern and 'I told you so' expression on their faces.
The Year of the Rooster sees a drop of patients brought to hospital due to firecracker-related injuries, however the 524 cases is still a significant number that needed treatment. May these cases be accident or not, the blame remains on the people who are relentless to expose themselves and others to the risk of explosions and blasts. From these incidents, 521 were injured due to the blasts while the remaining three cases involved ingestion. On the other hand, 1 death of a 15-year old girl was reported from 23 incidents of indiscriminate firing as reported by the PNP reached which involves uniformed men. It is also important to consider the harmful effects of this practice not only to the animal population but also, albeit unnoticeable to the environment and the accompanying social cost.
Scarred for Life
In an online report compiled by a national media network in 2010, a victim of severe burn due to pyrotechnic mishap will shoulder at least P5,000 - P10,000 in a day for at least two weeks. So if you or your relative is to be sent to the burn unit of your local hospital, the cost of treatment will leave your family equally hurt. In case you are indigent, the government will subsidize some of the cost of medication, but will still leave you with substantial amount to cover for supplies, diagnostics tests, and lab exams just to name a few.
Instead of designating the budget to more appropriate channels, DOH and LGUs spend significant amount to prepare, mitigate, and later on treat injuries and harm the practice of lighting up firecrackers leaves us. A simple laceration may cause serious infection, say in your leg which can prevent you from moving freely and easily. You may lose your eyesight due to the blast or being infected by firecracker chemicals which affects your vision and visions of tomorrow. It may lead to mutilated fingers or even amputation which makes activities of your daily living even more difficult.
These are the possible health risks of improper use of firecrackers/fireworks listed by the DOH:
(1) blast or burns without amputation;
(2) blast or burn with amputation;
(3) sustained eye injuries that can lead to blindness;
(4) tetanus;
(5) poisoning (ingestion); and
(6) death.
In case of firecracker-related injuries such as burns, ingestion, and wounds, below are the signs, symptoms, and appropriate first aid one should know about to avoid further health risk of the injured person. It is a must that you seek further medical attention once first aid is done.
To add to these physical dangers, victims are also exposed to trauma mentally and emotionally, which could permanently affect their productivity and outlook in life. All because of the decision to go out and buy firecrackers, lighting it up improperly and hastily; or playing with it carelessly.
Government campaigns and civil service crusaders can always come up with campaigns every year. Yet they will always remain preventive and cautionary however persuasive they are made, just a warning signal for everyone. It is always up to the people to understand that although it has been a long standing tradition and we want to add spice to our celebration, it is more convenient and worry-free to start the New Year safe and sound.
