Drilon lauds Duterte's order on firecrackers, urges Congress to adopt a similar legislation

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Thursday lauded President Rodrigo Duterte's issuance of Executive Order No. 28 regulating the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices, saying the move will help curb the number of firecracker-related injuries.

"I fully support the issuance of the executive order that limits the use of firecrackers in the country. It is a laudable measure. A similar policy has been implemented in some parts of the country including the President's hometown when he was still mayor of Davao City, and it's been proven effective" Drilon said. "I'm glad that it will be implemented nationwide."

Now that the E.O. is in place, it behooves Congress to enact legislation limiting and regulating the use of pyrotechnic devices and banning the manufacturing and sale of dangerous firecrackers, according to Drilon.

"It's time for Congress to adopt a similar measure. I hope that the leadership of Congress will include it in the priority agenda when we resume session in July," he said.

He said the order would be "a big boost in the Department of Health's (DOH) anti-firecrackers drive particularly during the New Year celebration to prevent deaths and injuries.

Citing a DOH report, he noted that the country has about 1,000 firecracker-related injuries per year, with an estimated P10 million in health cost.

"During the celebration of New Year 2017 alone, there were about 350 firecracker and firework-related injuries, but what is more aggravating is the fact that more than half of the victims were children," Drilon added.

Drilon said that with the issuance of EO No. 28, he hopes that unecessary injuries can now be prevented.