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MANILA: The city government of Dagupan is offering cash prizes from PHP5,000 to PHP10,000 to villages that will record zero firecracker incidents during the holidays.
In an interview on Thursday, Mayor Belen Fernandez said they target zero incidents this year, especially among children and young people.
‘We are trying our best to go to the grassroots especially the children to avoid firecrackers. We are offering PHP5,000 for small barangays that would incur zero firecracker incidents and PHP10,000 for bigger barangays,’ she said.
Fernandez urged the residents to instead buy torotot (party horns) for children or use other noisemakers for the celebration of the New Year revelry and use the money for buying food instead of firecrackers.
‘Sa lahat ng kabataan at mga magulang, kailangan magtulungan tayo para maiwasan na maging victim ng paputok (To the young people and the parents, let us help one another so we could prevent being a victim of firecrackers),’ she added.
Relatively, the Department of Health –
Center of Health Development in the Ilocos Region (DOH-CHD-1) on Thursday held the regional launching of the fight against firecracker use in Dagupan City, dubbed ‘Iwas Paputok.’
DOH-CHD-1 director Paula Paz Sydiongco said in her speech that victims of firecracker-related accidents are getting younger, with some 5 to 9 years old, thus she urged parents to really look after their kids.
Total firecracker-related incidents in Pangasinan from Dec. 21, 2021 to Jan. 6, 2023 reached 74 cases, she said.
Sydiongco also called for a well-balanced diet during the holiday celebrations and for people who have cough or colds to use face masks
Source: Philippines News Agency
