Too Early to Crow! Real Count of Firecracker Injuries 2016

Screengrab from Inquirer.net.

CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer for challenging the government’s claim that the firecracker casualty rate went down by 60 percent from the previous year. Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial announced on January 1 that there were only 350 casualties since December 21, 2016.

In an Inquirer report, Ubial said that the New Year revelry recorded the lowest firecracker injuries in 10 years. The fear of Duterte, according to Ubial, caused the “remarkable” decline.  (“Fear of Duterte brings down firecracker injuries, says DOH”).

President Duterte successfully banned firecrackers in Davao City fifteen years ago. He warned that he would ban powerful firecrackers nationwide, but did not issue the ban during the 2016 holiday season.

In the same report, the Inquirer pointed out that in 2016 the health department reported a total of 384 firecracker casualties from December 21, 2015 to January 1, 2016. Contrary to the claim of 60 percent, the figure represents a drop of only 8.8 percent.

The Inquirer on January 3 reported the rise in the number of firecracker injuries, as cases were reported.  From the official count of only 350 on January 1, the injuries went up to 524 on January 2. The report noted that the government may have declared its success too soon when it boasted that the firecracker injuries were the lowest in ten years. (“Oops! Firecracker injuries on the rise”)

It was premature for government to declare the 60 percent drop on January 1. Usually, the health department counts firecracker casualties from December 21 to January 5. As of January 3, the Department of Health record counted 581 firecracker-related injuries.