The Department of Health-Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR) is looking to engage the Department of Education (DepEd) to strengthen the “Iwas Paputok” campaign this year as majority of the latest fireworks related injuries (FWRIs) in the region involved minors.
Data from Dec. 21, 2025 to Jan. 6, 2026 showed that 111 cases or 71.6 percent of the total 155 cases belong to the 1 to 10 and 11 to 20 age-groups.
DOH-NIR Assistant Regional Director Adrian Hort Ramos said on Wednesday (Jan. 7) they are set to convene and evaluate the data, case reporting, age groups, and other related concerns to determine how to strengthen the campaign against the use of firecrackers in the region during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“One suggestion is to strengthen the involvement of the DepEd through a partnership to raise awareness among schoolchildren to avoid using firecrackers. Most of our cases are children. We are also looking into how to engage parents and guardians to monitor and guide children in these age groups,” he added.
Based on the DOH-NIR records, there were 155 FWRIs from Dec. 21, 2025 to Jan. 6, 2026, higher compared to only 135 in the previous year.
The remaining cases include 16 with ages 21 to 30; 12 with ages 31 to 40; and 16 above 41 years old.
Those who sustained blast or burn injury without amputation totaled 112; eye injury – 27; eye injury and blast or burn injury without amputation – 11; and blast or burn injury with amputation – four.
The FWRIs included 87 active cases, wherein the individual lighted the fireworks or pyrotechnics by himself or herself, and 68 passive cases or those only hit by fireworks or pyrotechnics.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region reported the confiscation of P437,778 worth of illegally possessed, manufactured, and sold firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices from Dec. 6, 2025 to Jan. 6, 2026.
These included 23,111 items such as boga (improvised cannon), atomic triangle, and five-star, which were disposed in separate activities held in police offices across the region on Wednesday.
The destroyed firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices were seized during the operations conducted by the Bacolod City Police Office, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, Siquijor Police Provincial Office, and Regional Mobile Force Battalion. | NND
