As Filipinos gear up to welcome what will hopefully be a better year, the Philippine government reiterated its rules banning firecrackers and regulating fireworks displays.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), on Thursday, December 24, said the rule prohibiting private households from staging their own fireworks displays still stands.

This rule, formalized by President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No 28, means that only “community fireworks displays” are allowed – meaning, fireworks displays permitted by local governments and staged in venues like malls and community centers.

New fireworks rules during a pandemic

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will no longer issue new special permits for community fireworks displays “to discourage mass gatherings among the spectators as a measure against the transmission of COVID-19 this holiday season.”

Establishments which were able to get permits before December 16, the day the police issued their advisory, and are in local governments which allow such displays, will still be able to push through with their fireworks displays.

What’s not allowed

Firecrackers with the following characteristics:

• Overweight – with more than 1/3 teaspoon or more than 0.2 gram of net explosive ingredients
• Oversized – like atomic big triangulo, super lolo, giant whistle bomb, etc
• With short fuse – should not burn less than 3 seconds but not more than 6 seconds
• Imported – finished products
• Mixture – sulphur and/or phosphorous mixed with chlorates
• Unlabeled locally made products

These specific firecrackers:

1.   Watusi
2.   Piccolo
3.   Poppop
4.   Five Star
5.   Pla-Pla
6.   Lolo Thunder
7.   Giant Bawang
8.   Giant Whistle Bomb
9.   Atomic Bomb
10. Atomic Triangle
11. Large-size Judas Belt
12. Goodbye Delima
13. Hello Columbia
14. Goodbye Napoles
15. Super Yolanda
16. Mother Rockets
17. Kwiton
18. Super Lolo
19. Goodbye Bading
20. Goodbye Philippines
21. Bin Laden
22. Coke-in-can
23. Pillbox
24. Boga
25. Kabasi
26. Other similar firecrackers

What’s allowed

The sale and use of consumer pyrotechnics, also known as pailaw, are allowed.

The following were cited as examples of allowed consumer pyrotechnics:
1.   Butterfly
2.   Fountain
3.   Jumbo Regular and Special
4.   Luces
5.   Mabuhay
6.   Roman Candle
7.   Sparklers
8.   Trompillo
9.   Whistle Device

– Rappler.com