SEVERAL areas in Davao Region have started enforcing a firecracker ban according to Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao).
PRO-Davao spokesperson Police Major Catherine Dela Rey told Davao media in a press conference recently that the municipalities of Hagonoy, Sta. Cruz, and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur have adopted Davao City's policy, which for more than 20 years restricted the use of pyrotechnics and firecrackers.
Dela Rey added that while New Corella has already banned the use of firecrackers, the municipality of Kapalong, the Island Garden City of Samal, and Tagum City in Davao del Norte have also recently implemented the same regulation.
The municipalities of Lupon, San Isidro, Governor Generoso, Tarragona, and Boston in Davao Oriental have also done the same.
On the other hand, the municipality of Laak in Davao de Oro will also be implementing such an ordinance.
In the meantime, the municipalities of Boston, Sarangani, Jose Abad Santos, and Don Marcelino in Davao Occidental have also adopted the same regulation.
“The Police Regional Office 11 hopes that more areas in the region will declare firecracker bans to ensure a safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year’s celebration,” she stated.
The first city in the region to enact a complete ban on firecrackers is Davao City. In 2017, the city passed the "Firecracker and Other Pyrotechnic Devices Ordinance of 2017," which bans the production, distribution, and use of pyrotechnic devices, including firecrackers. First put into effect in 2001, the law was strengthened and formalized in 2017 during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, who was the mayor during that time.
This restriction on firecrackers was part of a larger initiative to increase public safety and lower the number of injuries, especially during the New Year's celebrations when mishaps involving firecrackers are frequent. For many years, the city has upheld this ordinance strictly, which has mainly been effective in lowering the number of fatalities and injuries caused by firecrackers. DEF
