THE Philippine National Police and the local government on Thursday conducted an inspection of firecracker stores in Bgy. Turo, Bocaue, Bulacan.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Police Regional Office 3 director Brig. Gen. Cesar Pasiwen, Bulacan police director Col. Relly Arnedo, and Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando led the joint inspection at the “Fireworks Capital.”
With them were Bocaue Mayor Eduardo Villanuena Jr. and the Bulacan Pyrotechnics Regulatory Board.
The inspection aims to ensure that firecracker and pyrotechnic dealers, sellers, and manufacturers comply with the implementing regulations and guidelines stated in Republic Act 7183 and Executive Order 28 as part of the PNP’s ongoing crackdown on illegal firecrackers that are hazardous to the general public.
The Bulacan Police Provincial Office’s relentless campaign against illegal firecrackers resulted in the arrest of 21 offenders and the confiscation of a significant quantity of illegal fireworks such as pla-pla, kabasi, dugong, sawa, variety of kwitis, coned whistle, whistle bomb, mini kwiton, luces, 5 star, higad, variety of fountains, pagoding, rambo pagoda, different layers of pagoda, full rc close pagoda, assorted paraphernalia such as cylinder cones, crumpled papers, pale of corn starch paste, small aluminum ladle, improvised concrete cone setter, assorted finished/unfinished firecrackers products, sacks of sulfur powder, potassium nitrate, barium nitrate, potassium nitrate, black powder, aluminum powder, bundle paper materials, bundles of wick (mitsa), and boxes of tubes.
Arnedo said the Bulacan police strictly enforces Executive Order 28 on all manufacturers and distributors of pyrotechnics in the province. He added that there are a total of 22 licensed manufacturers and 81 distributors and resellers in the province. Significantly, 60 of the 81 distributors and resellers are based in Bocaue.
The general public is once again reminded of the kinds of firecrackers that may be legally marketed and purchased and is encouraged to refrain from purchasing illegal firecrackers since doing so might threaten people’s lives, limbs, and property.
“We urge the public to adhere to the designated public fireworks display zone in each barangay where they can safely enjoy communal fireworks during the holiday season celebration, “ Arnedo said.
Among the prohibited firecrackers are watusi, piccolo poppop, 5-star, pla-pla, lolo thunder, giant bawang, giant whistle bomb, atomic bombm, super lolo, atomic triangle, goodbye bading, large-size Judas belt, goodbye Philippines, goodbye Delima, Bin Laden, Hello Columbia, mother rockets, goodbye Napoles, coke-in-can, Super Yolanda, pillbox, mother rockets, boga, kwiton, kabasi, all overweight and oversized firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices, all imported finished products, other unlabelled locally-made FCPD products; and other types of firecrackers with other brands/names equivalent to those that are prohibited.
