MAASIN CITY (PIA) — For at least four years in a row, the province of Southern Leyte has maintained a zero blast injury caused by firecracker burns during the holidays, in particular days before and after Christmas and New Year.
As per close monitoring undertaken by health personnel in hospitals and by police officers, it was found out that there were no recorded incidents of firecracker burns, and there were also no reports of stray bullets, including indiscriminate firing of guns.
According to Joewil Napuli, provincial disease surveillance officer, the province achieved a zero-case on firework-related injuries during the noisy revelry, especially at its height in greeting the new year.
The seven public hospitals, eight private hospitals, and 19 rural/city health units had no reports about anyone coming in due to injuries sustained out of firecrackers or, worse, stray bullets, Napuli reported.
Health and police officials began their monitoring tasks on December 20, 2022 and ended on January 6, 2023.
On the part of police personnel, aside from confirming that nobody fired bullet-fed weapons, PCol. Hector Enage, provincial PNP director, cited the role of those selling firecrackers, saying they were not able to confiscate anything illegal sold at makeshift stalls during their rounds anywhere province-wide. (MMP/PIA8-Southen Leyte with reports by Dahlia Orit, RP-Sogod)
