Police authorities warned that violators to the long-existing firecracker ban ordinance in the city will be dealt with accordingly.
Chief Inspector Milgrace Driz, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office said the police have been monitoring and enforcing the firecracker ordinance during the holidays.
She said the law is highly relevant since it guarantees the protection of lives and properties from the holiday revelries.
“We have to ensure the protection of life and property especially that we celebrate the holidays,” Driz said.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte warned residents to follow the law which has been implemented since year 2002 to prevent holiday-revelry-related injuries.
Earlier, the Department of Health 11 has placed all government hospitals and health centers under code: white in preparation for the holiday-related injuries.
Dr. Abdullah Dumama, Jr., director of the DOH 11 said medical personnel is on stand-by in the operation center.
He said hospitals, medical and health centers are ready to respond to all holiday-related injuries and illnesses.
Dumama said Davao City may be spared from the impact of the firecrackers because of the strict implementation of the firecracker ban here.
However, he said much concern is needed on areas outside Davao City like Davao del Norte and its nearby provinces.
“We encourage the people to do other means of welcoming the holidays by creating noise like banging the pots aside from using firecrackers,” Dumama said.
He said in case of accident, victims must wash firecracker- related-wounds with soap and clean water, draining away fragments and traces that might cause infection, before bringing the patient to the nearest health center. (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)