During the New Year’s Eve revelry alone, authorities recorded 270 injuries due to fireworks and 15 hurt and one killed by stray bullets in Metro Manila, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, and Ilocos.

DoH Undersecretary Dr. Mario Villaverde told a media forum on Saturday that the fireworks-related injures increased by 7 percent compared to the 512 cases recorded in same period last year and 19 percent higher compared to 5 years ago.

Villaverde said that based on a preliminary nationwide report covering December 21 to January 1 – 518 or 95 percent were due to fireworks injuries, 20 (4%) to stray bullet injuries, and 8 (1%) to fireworks ingestion or poisoning.

Almost half or 301 of the cases were at the National Capital Region (NCR), followed by Ilocos (35), and Western Visayas (29).

He said the increase in the number of incidents could be attributed to the proliferation of cheap and low-quality fireworks, particularly the match-like Piccolo.

“The increase in the number of injuries was probably due to the proliferation of the cheap, low-quality, and prohibited Piccolo that injured a bigger number of children. Also, a significant high proportion of bystanders, who were injured and a high percentage of active users under the influence of alcohol contributed to the increase,” Villaverde said.

According to a DoH report, Piccolo caused 32 percent of the total injuries at 182, followed by Kwitis (74), and Pla-pla (32).

Villaverde said 408 of the victims, where males between the ages of 1 to 10-years-old.

“The critical factor here is children and handling of Piccolo, since it’s the most accessible children,” he said.

“Again we are reiterating our call for the total ban of firecrackers and the release of guns in celebrating New Year. Of course it has been a tradition in the Philippines, and it will take time before it becomes a reality, but the DoH will continue pushing for it,” he added.

Director Nicanor Bartolome, National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said it recorded a drop in the number of injuries caused by stray bullets – 20 cases compared to previous years.

DoH Director of the National Epidemiology Center Dr. Eric Tayag said that the number of casualties could still change after the department has completed collecting its data on injuries from fireworks and stray bullet up to January 5.

“This figure is not yet final since there are still people who have been injured by firecracker, but were not included in the figures since they did not to go to the a hospital. There is a probability that the total of injured cases will be lower compared to last year.” Tayag said.

Despite the 7 percent increase in DoH’s preliminary report, he said the campaign against fireworks was still successful after it led to a drop in the number of injured children and the number of Piccolo-related injury after its launch.

Bullets from the sky

In Taguig, a woman was killed shortly after midnight after a stray bullet hit her while celebrating the coming New Year with her family.

Police identified the victim as Myrna Moreno of Sto. Niño Street, Holy Family Village, Bagumbayan.

In Caloocan, members of two families escaped death when two stray bullets fired landed in their homes in Phase 1 and Phase 8 in Bagong Silang, early Saturday.

Police Officer 1 Arnold Rina of Bagong Silang Police said the first bullet allegedly fired from a 9mm pistol hit the roof of the house of retired Army Sgt. Ernesto Samidio in Phase 1. The slug of the bullet was discovered in a basin full of water at 6 a.m.

The second slug hit the house of a certain Puresa Quilbio in Phase 8.

Police said the slug landed at the ground floor shortly after the family's visitors left.

Samuel Medenilla, Manila Bulletin