MANILA, Philippines – Tumaas na ang presyo ng mga pailaw at paputok na ibinibenta sa Bocaue, Bulacan ilang oras bago ang pagpapalit ng taon.

Ayon kay Lea Alapide, ang president ng Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturer and Dealer Association, itinaas nila nang bahagya ang presyo ng tinda nilang paputok upang makabawi sa pagkalugi.

Ang dagdag-presyo ay kasunod na rin ng pagpapatupad ng total firecracker ban sa Metro Manila at ilang bayan sa Zambales at Tarlac.  

“Hindi naman po yung talagang mataas na mataas, Kung meron man pagtaas don sa mga dealers na kakaunti yung stock siguro doon sa partikular na produkto. Kung may pagtaas man P1, P2, P5. Mura lang naman po sa maliliit na items, sa malalaki naman meron P50, P100,” ang pahayag ni Alapide.

Ayon naman sa ilang firecracker vendor sa Bocaue, nagmahal na ang kemikal na ginagamit nila sa paggawa ng paputok kaya tumaas ang presyo ng kanilang mga produkto.

Ang mga paputok na tumaas ang presyo ay ang Sawa (2,000 rounds) na ngayon ay P800 mula sa dating P700, Sinturon na nasa P50 mula sa P40, Luces P30 kada 10 piraso, Fountain na nagkakahalaga ng P35, at Aerial na may presyong P5,500 para sa 168 shoots mula sa dating P4,500.

Dahil sa pagtaas ng presyo, binawasan ng ilang customer ang binibiling paputok habang ang iba naman ay mas piniling ibili na lang ng pagkain ang kanilang pera.

Una nang nagpaalala ang Philippine Natioal Police at Department of Health sa publiko na iwasang gumamit ng paputok, lalo na ang mga ipinagbabawal na uri nito upang makaiwas sa disgrasya. – RRD (mula sa ulat ni Correspondent Nestor Torres)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Joel Villanueva and other firecracker manufacturers are appealing against President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to totally ban firecrackers in the country.

The senator said the industry has become a part of the country’s culture and suggested fixing the industry instead of totally banning it.

“Aapila tayo sa Pangulo, maipaliwanag nating husto, kung saan tayo nanggagaling. Importante talaga ang maayos na regulation, (We will appeal to the President and carefully explain our side. What’s important is to fix the regulation),” he said.

Fireworks manufacturer Joven Ong said the ban would also affect manufacturing companies that are producing quality fireworks.

“Kami nakikiusap na huwag naman sana lahat ng industry dahil meron naman gumagawa ng kalidad na pailaw, na hindi naman nakakadulot ng pinsala walang nasasaktan (We are appealing not to ban the whole industry because there are those who are manufacturing quality [fireworks] which are not dangerous),” he said. AAC (with reports from Nestor Torres)

MANILA, Philippines — Five suspected illegal loggers have been arrested in the forested area of Doña Remedios Trinidad in the province of Bulacan during anti-illegal logging operations.

The area is part of the Angat Watershed Reservation under the Proclamation No. 505.

The operation was spearheaded by the combined operatives of the DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) based in Baliwag, Bulacan together with personnel from the National Power Corporation (NPC)- Angat Watershed Team (AWAT) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) of Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT) in Bulacan,

Authorities also seized more than 1,600 board feet of chainsawn dipterocarp lumber worth over P170,000 including three chainsaws and five motorcycles.

The forest contrabands are now under the custody of CENRO Baliwag. 

The DENR has already filed criminal charges against the suspects for violating the Forestry Code of the Philippines (P.D. 705) and the Republic Act No. 9175 or the Chainsaw Act of 2002.