Governor Daniel Fernando, together with officials from the Pyrotechnics Regulatory Board (PRB), the Philippine National Police, and some government agencies, led the ocular inspection of several pyrotechnics stores in Barangay Turo here on Monday.
Fernando said the move ensures that the rules and regulations stated in the Republic Act 7183 on manufacturing, sale, and distribution are observed by manufacturers, dealers, and retailers.
The governor said he wanted to assure that health safety protocols are being observed in the pyro marketplace in this town.
“I also wanted to promote the pyro industry by informing the general and consuming public that fireworks are not totally banned as perceived by many,” he said in an interview.
“We also urged firecracker sellers to strictly follow the safety provisions of the law and personally applied the safety protocols against Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) to their customers,” he added.
Fernando also encouraged dealers not to sell smuggled pyrotechnics devices because that would kill the local industry.
He directed the Bulacan police headed by Col. Manuel Lukban Jr. to intensify their crackdown against prohibited fireworks and firecrackers, such as piccolo, super lolo, goodbye Earth, Judas belt, and other firecrackers with gunpowder exceeding two grams.
Lukban said that this year, the province has 20 licensed manufacturers and 82 licensed dealers, while the total number of manufacturers with PS mark licenses is 11.
Sixty out of the 120 dealers and resellers are situated in Bocaue.
“Bulacan police is regularly making rounds on the rows of fireworks stores in Barangay Turo here in Bocaue and other parts of the provinces to ensure that the safety and zoning provisions of the firecracker law are strictly followed,” Lukban said.
Meanwhile, Celso Cruz, president emeritus of the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI) and PRB vice chairman, told the Philippines News Agency (PNA) that the sale of fireworks in the market today has dropped by over 50 percent due to the pandemic, lack of supply materials, and as well as the public confusion over the implementation of the total ban.
He said the PRB of Bulacan is pushing for a pyrotechnics testing laboratory in the province.
Cruz said the testing laboratory can be used to test all fireworks and pyrotechnic devices made in Bulacan and make sure the products are not using banned chemical formulations that are susceptible to accidental explosions.
“With the national government implementing (a) devolution program to the local government unit, the PRB is pushing for the creation of the pyrotechnic testing laboratory in the Bulacan to help revitalize and modernize the local fireworks industry,” he said.
Source: Philippines News Agency