A safer and happier New Year

I am glad that the government is taking bolder steps towards ensuring everyone has a safer start to 2018 by cracking down hard on firecracker use during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Over the years I have found that usage has decreased but there are still so many injuries and accidents reported on January 1 that it has become a sad habit to read the paper the next day and see if there were any fatalities.

Personally, I have never liked firecrackers. Especially the kinds that are popular here in the Philippines. Most Filipinos seem to like the ones that are exceptionally loud and are more akin to explosives than recreational firecrackers. The next day, stories are always of fingers that were blown off or missing limbs. As I said though, I admit that these have lessened over the years. I remember a decade ago the fireworks went on until well past 3 a.m. And when you would drive home it was like driving through a war zone. Hopefully now with these new measures in place, people will be more responsible and find alternative ways to ring in the coming year.

This is a directive of the administration that I can really support and it has become a two-pronged strategy. The first part is the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) closely monitoring the firecracker manufacturing companies and ensuring they are adhering to Occupational Safety and Health Standards. They are also making sure companies are manufacturing products that have been banned. In addition, the government is also asking the local government units to get involved at the ground level and warn their constituents about the dangers of firecracker use and direct them instead to watch the carefully supervised community fireworks display.

The second part of the strategy is the Department of Health (DOH) closely monitoring the festivities and ensuring that all hospitals are ready to accommodate any and all firecracker victims during the celebrations. This year with the ban in place the DOH is projecting a 50 percent decrease in firecracker related injuries. Last year they were able to achieve over 30 percent decrease so with stricter rules in place this year it should go down even further.

Naturally, I can understand the plight of our fellow Filipinos in the provinces and smaller sitios who manufacture firecrackers for a living and look forward to the final stretch of the year to sell their wares. But hopefully this gives them the directive to create products that are safer or channel their efforts into other New Year’s Eve products horns, hats, and other fun noisemakers.

After all, there are always alternatives to loud explosive fireworks when it comes to Dec 31 revelry. Maybe now we can be more creative when we decide on what we’re going to do to celebrate. I know that we all want to make as much noise at the start of 2018 to usher in a prosperous and successful new year, but it’s always much better to be safe than sorry.

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In the ongoing saga of corruption and plunder in the government, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is the next to be hit. The Senate is recommending plunder and criminal raps against the two former BI commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles over the botched attempt to extort P50 million from Chinese gaming tycoon Macau based Jack Lam in November of last year.

They were extorting Lam to allegedly help release the 1,316 Chinese workers who were working illegally at Lam’s online casino at the Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark Pampanga. Alongside them, the alleged go-between former Senior Supt. Wenceslao “Wally” Sombero is also being called in with a plunder charge as well.

The entire situation is a big mess and there is a lot to be accounted for in it, not just the extortion. Obviously the illegal casino is one as well plus the illegal foreign nationals. There is so much more here than just the P50 million – although that is of course a big part – it’s important to see where the buck stops and follow it all the way to be able to root out everyone that was involved.

It’s sad to see another agency besmirched with corruption but it’s nothing that should surprise us anymore. I hope though that something actually comes of this investigation and those who are guilty are properly held accountable. We seem to expose corruption scandal after corruption scandal but to actually do something about it and ensure it doesn’t happen again is something new entirely.

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I truly hope that everyone has a wonderful and warm Christmas surrounded my family and loved ones. I know that it has been a challenging 2017 and, in many ways, is shaping up to continue to be challenging in the year ahead but Christmas is a time to let those worries slip away for at least a day and focus on the blessings around us and truly remember the reason for the season. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope it is merry and bright!