January 2 ------ The nationwide celebration of the New Year was “generally peaceful,” according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). “Based on our overall assessment, no significant untoward incident occurred that could somehow disrupt the New Year’s celebration although there were several reports about fire-cracker-related injuries. As a whole, the celebration was generally peaceful and orderly,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said.
From Dec. 16 to 6 p.m. of Dec. 31, the PNP recorded 20 cases of indiscriminate firing nationwide. The incidents were reported in the National Capital Region (NCR), Calabarzon (Region 4A), Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), and Northern Mindanao (Region 10).
Four individuals were injured due to these cases of indiscriminate firing. The PNP arrested 14 individuals tagged in these cases - 11 civilians, a police officer from Rizal province, a personnel of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and a security guard. “Hopefully, there will be no additional cases. Compared to last year, there were also 20 cases of indiscriminate discharge of firearms,” Fajardo said. Meanwhile, the PNP confiscated 593,000 illegal firecrackers which have a total value of P3.9 million. “Our campaign will continue because there are instances that some sellers would continue to sell illegal firecrackers even after the New Year’s Day,” Fajardo noted.
Fiery New Year
Nine fire incidents were recorded by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the National Capital Region (NCR) on the very first day of 2025, an official disclosed. BFP spokesperson Fire Senior Supt. Annalee Carbajal-Atienza said one was already confirmed while details on eight other cases were being verified. “So far, the report that reached the National Headquarters was that there was one [fire] incident. However, in our unofficial report, in NCR we noted nine fire incidents from 12:17 a.m. until 5:21 a.m.,” Carbajal-Atienza said in a radio interview over dzBB.
The lone confirmed incident was a third alarm fire that struck a general merchandise building in Malabon City which occurred around 5 a.m. The cause of fire remains under investigation and no casualty was also reported as of this writing. The nine reported fire incidents were lower compared to the 54 recorded cases during the 2024 New Year’s Day revelry. The BFP officials said this indicates that a lot more Filipinos are being aware of practical ways to avoid fire incidents during the New Year’s revelry. “We can really see the difference in the number of cases. We can attribute this to [the people’s awareness]. It seems they were traumatized because of what happened to some of our kababayan who were victimized before. Sad to note, they became a sacrificial lamb so that other communities would learn a lesson,” Carbajal-Atienza said.
The BFP spokesperson said among the leading causes of fire during the New Year celebration involves the use of firecrackers. “There were [fire] incidents caused by firecrackers and it’s because of the mechanism. For example, kwitis [skyrocket], once it goes up, we cannot control where it will go,” she said. “Whether a firecracker or firework is considered legal or not, it may be a cause of fire. Another example is a fountain, if we don’t improvise a stable holder for it, there are tendencies that it would fall on its side and the embers of fire might accidentally go to houses made of light materials or worse, injure spectators,” she added.
The BFP reiterated its reminder to the public to be alert at all times to avoid fire, especially at the start of the New Year.
529 road traffic incidents
The DOH also reported that over 500 road traffic incidents had been reported since last month. DOH said that it has been monitoring road traffic incidents in eight pilot areas, and based on the latest data gathered, a total of 529 road traffic incidents were recorded from Dec. 22, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025. The latest figures, according to DOH, represent a 31 percent increase compared to last year.
DOH also noted that there have been six reported deaths, four of which were due to motorcycle accidents. Meanwhile, DOH highlighted that of the reported road traffic incidents, 94 were caused by alcohol consumption, 459 involved individuals not using safety accessories, and 383 were motorcycle accidents.
“BiyaHealthy” campaign
Together with its partners, DOH launched its “Ligtas Christmas sa Bagong Pilipinas” campaign last month to promote safe and healthy celebrations during the holiday season. “BiyaHealthy Ngayong Pasko” is one of the sub-campaigns of “Ligtas Christmas,” emphasizing that road safety is a shared responsibility. Based on its data, DOH noted that most individuals involved in road traffic injuries this holiday season were not wearing safety accessories such as helmets and seatbelts. As part of the campaign, DOH advised drivers to ensure they are not fatigued, have not consumed alcohol, wear helmets, follow speed limits, and avoid distractions such as mobile phones.
In addition to “BiyaHealthy Ngayong Pasko,” the other sub-campaigns of “Ligtas Christmas” include “Tamang Pagkain, Ehersisyo,” which encourages balanced, varied diets and moderation to prevent diseases like diabetes and hypertension, while promoting physical activity and the avoidance of alcohol and tobacco; and “Iwas Paputok,” which advocates for safe alternatives to fireworks and preparation for potential accidents.
‘Paputok pa more’
Seven people suffered injuries, including a 10-year-old boy, as they welcomed the New Year in Muntinlupa. Based on reports from the Muntinlupa City Health Office Surveillance Team and Ospital ng Muntinlupa (Osmun), the seven injuries recorded were the same number tallied in the previous year. The 10-year-old boy from Barangay Poblacion suffered an avulsed wound on the left hand due to a Pla-pla firecracker and was admitted at Osmun.
The other six injured who were treated at Osmun were a 55-year-old male from Barangay Tunasan who suffered contusion in the area surrounding the left eye and superficial burn from an unknown firecracker; a 22-year-old male who suffered second-degree burn on the left wrist from a “mother of the whistle bomb” firecracker; a 22-year-old male who suffered an avulsed wound on the right hand from a “mother of the whistle bomb”; and a 38-year-old male who suffered an avulsed wound on the right thigh and second-degree burn on the left arm from an unknown firecracker.
A 38-year-old female suffered soft tissue injury on the right and left legs from an unknown firecracker and was treated at the Alabang Medical Clinic. According to the surveillance team, of the seven injured, six were male and one was female. Five of them were injured in Barangay Poblacion, while Barangays Cupang and Tunasan had one injury each. (With a report from Jonathan Hicap)
Source: mb.com.ph
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