Fireworks manufacturers and dealers are appealing to the local government of Quezon City to review its new fireworks ordinance in line with existing laws and policies at the national level.
Joven Ong of the Philippine Fireworks Association said Quezon City’s recent Ordinance Sangguniang Panlungsod 2618 S-2017 banning the use of all firecrackers and pyrotechnics in public spaces does not align with Republic Act 7183 and Executive Order (EO) 28 and its implementing guidelines issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
“All local legislations should generally be in step with or hew closely to executive issuances from Malacañang and national laws passed by Congress,” Ong said.
“Quezon City’s ordinance appears to be a knee-jerk response to EO 28” Ong added, noting that it contradicts EO28.
He said EO 28 allows the use of pyrotechnics, and effectively limits the use of firecrackers.
EO 28 is trying to clamp down on firecrackers, which is the predominant cause of fireworks-related injuries. The order, though, gives everyone a chance to shift from the use of firecrackers (paputok) to the safer pyrotechnics (pailaw).
“The QC ordinance would have been in consonance to EO 28 if it allowed pyrotechnics and only banned firecrackers on public spaces without the necessary permit” Ong said.
Section 2 of EO 28 states that all other types of pyrotechnics, except for firecrackers, may be used outside community fireworks displays and, thus, exempted from the rules found in Section 1 of EO 28, specifically tackling firecrackers.
Ong said the confusion is on the use of the right terminology.
“A lot of people still do not know what fireworks, firecrackers and pyrotechnics really mean, and use one or the other indiscriminately. We see a lot of these in news reports by media itself. This sows confusion,” he added.
He explained that firecrackers do not include all fireworks but only those fireworks that have sound or noise as its primary effect.
Pyrotechnics, on the other hand, pertains to all other effects, except for sound or noise. Those that have lights as a primary effect but has noise or sound as a secondary effect are still considered as pyrotechnics.
“So, if we are to look at RA [Republic Act] 7183, or the Fireworks Act, we see kuwitis, triangulo, sawa, bawang, etc. as firecrackers, and we see fountains, trompillo, roman candles, luces, etc. as pyrotechnics,” Ong said.
He said his group is coordinating with the office of Mayor Herbert Bautista and the city council to amend the ordinance and allow pyrotechnics as EO 28 has.
2 comments
Shut Up.. Joven Ong.. sumunod ka na lang.. ayaw namin madisgrasya and its very dangerous at perwisyo.. we want SAFE..”
Shut Up.. Joven Ong.. sumunod ka na lang.. ayaw namin madisgrasya and its very dangerous at perwisyo.. we want SAFE..” dapat BAN na ito totally..”