Tacloban City - Alarmed by the recent firecracker related incidents that claimed a number of human lives, people hurt and properties turned to ashes in the region and other parts in the country, Sanggunian Panlalawigan of Leyte unanimously agreed during their first regular session for this year last Tuesday to craft a resolution further regulating the sale or firecracker in the province.
The move was stimulated from the short privilege speech deliver by Board Member Emmanuel Golo, 5th district, who said the incident caused by firecracker in welcoming the year 2007 was very alarming and some measures must be done to avoid the same in the coming years.
In the full support of the resolution, Board Member Carlo Loreto, also of the 5th district, pointed out before the Legislative body that it is imperative for the August body to create such ordinance at the provincial level taking into serious considerations danger these firecrackers pose to the public.
Loreto further told the august body that a Congressman in Bulacan (the firecracker capital in the country) said that the quality of the firecrackers manufactured in Bulacan has been affected by the country of firecrackers from China or Taiwan. According to Loreto, it has been noted that the substandard or over standard firecrackers and pyrotechnics caused the most number of incidents in addition to the carelessness of users.
Loreto further said that as initially agreed they will craft the proposed ordinance within the next few months before elections so it can be passed immediately. But he said they are looking at crafting such proposed ordinance by totally banning the fire crackers in the province. Firecrackers and pyrotechnics experts will be invited by the provincial board to further draw some points which could help in crafting the ordinance.
For her part, Vice Governor Mimmiette Bagulaya, presiding officer, said the passage of such ordinance will not have any problem in the august body as everybody cares for everyone and understands the need of said ordinance, especially with those terrible incidents that claimed lives because of firecrackers. She said it is about time to make an alternative in making in welcoming the New Year other than using firecrackers.
Board Member Rolando Piamonte, a former police officer, said lawmen are supposed to monitor the entry and conduct operations against prohibited firecrackers. Citing the case in Ormoc where 24 persons died on the spot when Unitop shopping store was razed to the ground due to firecrackers which might not been within the tolerable standard.
