IWAS PAPUTOK: SO FAR SO GOOD

SO far so good! No firecracker-related injuries in the city.

This was the encouraging assessment of Dagupan City police as of December 30, 2016 considering that 19 cases were already recorded in various parts of Pangasinan, and 41 in Region 1.

Department of Health’s (DOH) records of Oplan: Iwas Paputok showed Dagupan having registered 36 firecracker injuries in 2015 and 27 in 2016, deemed among the highest.

P/Supt. Neil Miro, acting-police chief, expressed the hope that the target zero-casualty will be maintained in the city up to a week after New Year.  Over the years, Dagupan City was always cited as having the one of the highest recorded firecracker injuries not only in the region but in the country.

Miro said the cooperation of the 31 barangay captains of Dagupan is bearing fruits in the campaign against firecrackers but his station he said, will continue to closely monitor the activities in the barangays.

He inspected the designated firecracker zone in the city, the area in front of the NBI building in Barangay Poblacion Oeste where some 25 vendors are selling regulated firecrackers.

At presstime, no vendor has pulling out from the area to sell their wares in front of the West Central Elementary School, the banned traditional selling place for firecracker and fireworks.

The vendors had complained that unlicensed vendors have been able to sell in Caranglaan, Lucao and Bonuan Gueset to their serious disadvantage.

Earlier, some vendors threatened to leave the designated firecracker zone on December 29 after noting that sales had not been brisk unlike in the past but Miro was quick to warn them about consequences and being arrested.

One vendor said they will remain in the place till New Year’s Eve provided the police go after the unlicensed vendors selling banned firecrackers.

In response, Miro said he will coordinate with the Calasiao police because there were reports that unlicensed vendors were selling firecrackers at the boundary of Dagupan and Calasiao and easily cross the boundary if police are not in the area to accost them.

Meanwhile, Miro announced that the barangay chairmen George Galvan of Pogo Grande and Filipinas de los Santos of Malued called on him in the morning of December 30 and gave their word that the noon-day New Year tradition in their villages, exploding powerful and oversized firecrackers, will not take place.

Galvan said the tradition in the barangay will be replaced by the beating of pots and pans.

De los Santos said her barangay will light colorful fountains lined up, one meter apart in the village street on New Year’s eve. (Leonardo Micua)

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