MANILA, Philippines – Firecrackers may be prohibited completely in the Philippines if President Rodrigo Duterte gets his way.

Duterte, on Thursday night, January 10, said he may soon issue an executive order banning firecrackers from the country. This would be an elevation of his Executive Order No 28 that limits the use of firecrackers to community fireworks displays.

“I will issue an executive order para warning na sa lahat (as a warning to all), that I am banning firecrackers altogether,” he said during the turnover of housing units to soldiers in Bulacan.

Duterte then cited how fireworks cause injuries, especially among the youth. 

Almost exactly a year ago, the President had said he wanted Congress to pass a law banning fireworks and pyrotechnics. 

During a Cabinet meeting, Duterte had also said he wanted the Department of Trade and Industry to identify alternative livelihood for the roughly 75,000 individuals in the fireworks industry who would be affected by the ban. 

Last October 2018, the President ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to crackdown on the illegal sale and manufacturing of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices. He also ordered that no new licenses or permits for the firecracker industry be issued until those with such documents are reviewed for compliance to laws.

Duterte’s EO, prohibiting private citizens from staging their own fireworks displays in their homes, was credited by the Department of Health for reducing the number of fireworks-related injuries during New Year’s Eve. 

In 2018, for example, the government reported a 77% decrease in fireworks-related injuries compared to the 5-year average. – Rappler.com