Cayetano graced the belated Christmas party of tricycle drivers and market vendors who are beneficiaries of his own financial assistance program at the Old Capitol here Sunday.
Instead of a total ban on the production and use of the firecrackers which resulted to injuries of at least 839 people, based on reports from the Department of Health this season, Cayetano said “it’s a matter of balance like in other activities that create damage to lives and environment such as logging, mining or beaches with protected aquatic resources.”
“Dapat may regulasyon pero tama yung implementation,” Cayetano, who is running for vice president, said.
“I think we can find a perfect balance. Banned yung individual use ng firecrackers at fireworks pero yung mga aerial displays in public places gobyerno ang magpapatakbo,” Cayetano said, adding that even some malls have offered safe fireworks display.
While cities, he said, wanted to follow Davao City in its total ban, others do not.
The solon recalled that his father, the late Sen. Renato Cayetano, brought them to Hong Kong to welcome the New Year in 2000 but found it dull. “Nagsisi rin siya sabi niya sana sa Pilipinas kasi mas masaya talaga dun,” he said.
Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, DOH spokesperson, said that the total number of firecracker-related injuries was still lower by 11 percent or 104 cases compared with the five-year average from 2010 to 2014 for the same period.
Suy said that in comparison also with the 850 cases recorded for the same period last year (2015), the FWRIs from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan. 4, 2016 were lower by 11 cases or one percent.
