DOH: Boga leading cause of firecracker injuries

MANILA, Philippines — The improvised cannon boga has toppled piccolo as the leading cause of fireworks-related injuries this New Year, a report of the Department of Health (DOH) showed Monday.

Boga, commonly made from PVC pipes, and piccolo are both considered illegal.

Based on data collated by the DOH-Epidemiology Bureau, boga accounted for 14 of 55 injuries recorded in 60 sentinel hospitals nationwide from Dec. 21 to Monday morning. 

Piccolo was the primary cause of injuries during the same surveillance period in 2017, accounting for 55 of 86 cases. 

The DOH report also said that triangle and kwitis followed boga with six cases each, while 5-Star and baby rocket had three cases each, just like piccolo. Close behind are bawang, camara and luces, which accounted for two cases each.

For the past years, piccolo had been the primary contributor to fireworks-related injuries, victimizing mostly children.  

According to DOH, nine of the 55 cases were injured from the morning of Dec. 30 to yesterday morning. There were two cases of fireworks ingestion. Four of the nine cases came from Region 6 while Regions 7, 1, 3, 8 and 12 had one case each.

“This (55) number is 56 cases (50 percent) lower compared to the same reporting period of 2017 and 166 cases (75 percent) lower than the five-year average. Fifty of the cases are males,” the agency noted.

It also said the ages of those affected ranged from two to 69 years.

Of the 55 blast injuries, five had amputation of limbs while 19 involved eye injuries.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported the arrest of nine more persons for sale, possession and use of prohibited firecrackers.

Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr., PNP spokesman, said the violators were caught in different operations across the country – three in Central Luzon, three in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), two in Eastern Visayas and one in Ilocos.

He added that since Dec. 16 a total of 17 persons were arrested for banned firecrackers that include piccolo, watusi, atomic bomb, superlolo, pillbox, whistle bomb and goodbye Philippines.

The PNP also arrested three civilians – two from Central Luzon and one from Zamboanga peninsula – for illegal discharge of firearms, although a total of 25 people have been accosted for the same offense, including seven policemen and one soldier. There were no reported casualties in these cases of illegal discharge of firearms.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier vowed to dismiss from service any police officer caught illegally using his firearm during the season. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Non Alquitran, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Marc Jayson Cayabyab