Paje Hopes More LGUs Ban Firecrackers

Quezon City — Environment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje has lauded the move by six cities and one town to ban the use of firecrackers during New Year celebrations and called on other local government units (LGUs) to follow suit.

He said the municipality of Pateros and the cities of Muntinlupa, Baguio, Olongapo, Davao, Kidapawan and Zamboanga are worth emulating for their effort to keep their residents safer and healthier during New Year’s revelry.

“These LGUs provide a model worth emulating by others. Feasting and merrymaking should not be at the cost of poor air quality and declining public health,” Paje said.

The environment chief added: “We hope other LGUs, especially those in urban areas like Metro Manila, would come up with similar ordinances, so that their constituents can wake up to a new year that is filled with hope, not smog from exploding firecrackers that are dangerous to our health.”

Paje warned that firecrackers create unnecessary toxic air pollution that can cause serious health and environmental risks.

It can be recalled that in January 2014, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported that the level of particulate matter 10 microns and below (or PM10) reached 1,437 micrograms per Normal cubic meter (ug/Ncm), which is almost 10 times above the guideline value of PM10 at 150 ug/Ncm.

Smoke from firecrackers contains sulphur compounds and heavy metals that could enter the body’s airways and aggravate the condition of people suffering from respiratory ailments such as asthma. As for the environment, firecrackers can lead to nutrient depletion in the soil and increased acidity in water bodies, thereby affecting biodiversity.

Instead of using firecrackers, Paje urged the public to make noise with whistles, rattles, car horns, bells and other harmless devices to ring in the New Year.

He also reiterated his earlier proposal for LGUs to designate common areas where people can collectively set off firework displays for a limited time to ensure safety, reduce air pollution, and make cleanup easier afterwards.

The DENR Secretary likewise reminded the public to minimize waste with their celebrations. “Simple things like using noisemakers out of recycled materials and which can be reused next year, or minimizing the use of disposables during the media noche or when having a picnic, and learning to clean up as you go can be a huge factor in reducing waste that we collect after new year.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reportedly collected more than 40 truckloads of garbage from around Metro Manila after the New Year celebrations in January 2014. (DENR)