Negros Oriental entered the New Year peacefully, with authorities reporting no major firecracker-related incidents during the celebrations.
Lieutenant Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), said on Wednesday, January 1, that local police stations did not receive reports of injuries from firecrackers or pyrotechnics on New Year’s Eve.
Polinar added that the Department of Health documented four minor burn cases in the days leading up to the celebration. These incidents occurred in La Libertad, Guihulngan, and Bais City, involving passersby.
Although the police did not officially file reports on these cases, authorities obtained the information from Rural Health Units, where the victims received treatment.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) also reported a fire-free New Year’s Eve, with no fireworks or pyrotechnic-related incidents. Fire Officer 2 Jason Pael from the BFP’s Communications and Electronics Division confirmed no fire emergencies had been reported.
Polinar further noted that authorities seized and destroyed illegal firecrackers, such as Poppop, from vendors on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
Aside from a few minor traffic-related incidents, the province remained calm and secure, Polinar added.
Firecracker injuries
Amid the peaceful celebration of New Year in Negros Oriental, data from the Department of Health – Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR) revealed a rise in firework-related injuries in the newly-formed region, with a total of 53 cases reported on New Year’s day.
Negros Occidental continues to lead the region with 31 cases, while Negros Oriental has 11 total cases, Bacolod City recorded nine, and Siquijor reported two injuries.
Among the victims, 31 were minors. Most injuries involved blast and burn wounds (36 cases) and eye injuries (15 cases). One case involved a stray bullet in Bacolod City.
Common causes of injury included triangle firecrackers, boga, and 5-star firecrackers, kwitis, and other unknown fireworks.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.