DOH records 7 injuries due to fireworks as of Dec. 23
As Filipinos prepare to celebrate Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the Department of Health (DOH) has reminded parents to protect their children from fireworks-related injuries.
During a press briefing on Monday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the DOH recorded 843 fireworks-related injuries between December 2024 to January this year, up by 38 percent compared to the same period from 2023 to 2024.
“A key [observation] was that many of those injured in fireworks-related [incidents] were ages 10 to 14 years old. So, I’m asking for help from those in the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the parents to stop them,” Herbosa said.
This year, however, the DOH has recorded seven cases of fireworks-related injuries between Dec. 21 and Dec. 23 in 62 sentinel hospitals.
This was a 75 percent drop from the same period in 2024, it said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Four of the victims were ages 19 and below while most of the injured used the “boga” (improvised cannon made from PVC pipe) and “5-star.”
Most dangerous
Herbosa noted during the briefing that while the 5-star firecracker and boga ranked third and fourth, respectively, in terms of firecrackers that caused the most amount of injuries, the “kwitis” (baby or sky rocket) topped the list.
“It’s very important that when doing community fireworks, we just use those for display and let the professionals do it,” he said. “I think many LGUs (local government units) also put up ordinances prohibiting the use of fireworks in front of residential houses, which is a good sign.”
Herbosa also asked parents to protect their children from inhaling smoke from fireworks, noting that many of those who suffer from bronchial asthma, a chronic lung disease that causes difficulty in breathing, are below 10 years old.
Cases of bronchial asthma, alongside stroke and acute coronary syndrome, are also expected to increase from December to January. Herbosa said the latest data from the DOH showed that so far, there were 437 people reported to be suffering from any of the three ailments.
Aside from firework-related injuries, the DOH also warned against a rise in the number of children being involved in road crashes, with this type of accident expected to increase during the holiday season.
Road accidents
“The No. 1 cause of death of children in the Philippines is road crash injuries. Whether it’s a holiday or not, the statistics remain, that’s a 10-year review. The ages are 5 to 29, their No. 1 cause of death is road crash [incidents], either as a pedestrian, on a two wheeler or in the vehicle,” Herbosa said.
According to him, the DOH recorded 703 road crash injuries during the previous holiday season, which caused eight deaths. Herbosa said the number of injuries increased by 31 percent year-on-year, and 37 percent on a five-year average.
He pointed out that 71 percent of the injuries involved motorcycles. On the other hand, 18 percent, or one in five drivers involved in road crash incidents, were found to have alcohol in their bloodstream, he added.
