By Dominic Dela Cruz
Staff Reporter
In
preparation for the up-coming Yuletide Season and New Year, the Laoag City
government has declared that selling of firecrackers would only be allowed
under the Gilbert Bridge.
This was announced by acting
Laoag City police chief P/Supt. Jeffrey Gorospe. He explained that this was
decided during a staff meeting at the City Hall.
Gorospe added that this would
also be the best way to avoid any untoward incidents.
In the past, the city
government has designated the area behind the Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag as
firecracker selling zone but firecracker vendors have also sold their wares
along the city’s main thoroughfares.
Gorospe however said that this
area can still be considered dangerous as he said the best place to sell
firecrackers would be in an area that is not cemented.
Reacting to this, the Laoag
City Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas welcomed the suggestion of the police chief, being
the one in-charge of security and instructed Gorospe to coordinate with the
City Disaster Risk reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) on how to best
implement this.
Laoag City fire marshal
Bonifacio Sacatrapos also agreed with the police chief’s suggestion because he
said the law states that the best place in selling firecrackers should be on a
land and 300 meters away from any structure.
Sacatrapos also said that the
law also needs a resolution approved by the city council designating the
permanent and area for the selling of firecrackers so that all vendors will be in
one place and anyone who violates will be apprehended and charged.
Sacatrapos added that aside
from a business permit, the firecracker vendor should also seek a possession of
firecrackers permit.
Laoag acting interior and local
government officer Lavin Basilio, for her part said that her office received a
directive from the Department of Interior and Local Government late last year
stating that the local chief executive, or the mayor, has now the power to
designate the firecracker zone area.
Basilio also recommended the
approval of a resolution to coincide with the mayor’s designation.
The mayor said that since her
office has not yet received any request asking for a mayor’s permit relative to
the matter, she instructed all the offices in charge to coordinate with one
another for a proposed resolution to be submitted to the city council for
proper action.
It should be noted, the mayor
said that the New Year celebration is fast approaching and that the vendors
should also seek and complete all the requirements needed for them to be
allowed to sell firecrackers. She stressed that this is for everybody’s
safety.
The
Ilocos Times learned that a vendor shall first undergo a seminar/briefing in
La Union for them to be issued a certification as one of the requirements to
become an accredited firecracker seller.
Gorospe said the first
scheduled seminar in La Union was already completed and the last schedule would
be in Camp Crame in Metro Manila but no specific date has been set yet.
He also said that he saw a lot
of Laoag residents attend the seminar in La Union.
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