BOCAUE, Bulacan—It is still a huge blast and a bang for the fireworks industry in this fireworks capital of the country this 2024 despite the still unabated proliferation of smuggled products, manufacture and sale of illegal products, online sales and the still pending implementation of 2018 Memorandum 31.
Lea Alapide, president of Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI) said the industry is deemed more successful this year as a bigger number of people managed to avail because of the abundant supply as many products were manufactured.
The large quantity and volume of fireworks—pyrotechnics (pailaw) and firecrackers (paputok) this year gave way for the prices to remain low and fit the budget of many people compared to higher commanding prices last year because of limited production.
“That’s why people find them fitting in their budget. It became easier for them to purchase fireworks this year. Many products particularly sawa and kwitis fit their budget,” she added.
Evelyn Pardo, 50, a fireworks dealer in Cubao is a regular client of Alapide who comes to the Bocaue almost every wee hour of the night since the third week of December to replenish her products. “I come here almost every midnight to replenish my products. People are more into fireworks this year compared to last year,” she said.
Pardo told NEWSCORE that there is really a felt and noticeable improvement in the sales of fireworks this year because of the election period. “The local government units, the officials, they are politicians running in the next year’s election. They did not require voluminous permits. Next year, it will be harsh again to the industry because it is no longer an election period,” she said.
However, Alapide decried the continued proliferation of smuggled firecrackers and pyrotechnics which remains a major threat to the local industry.
“They are in the market, you see in Divisoria and all, the products bear characters that we cannot read and understand. We are not sure if they are spread out in the country this year through another smuggling incident or they are still part of the incident from last year,” she said.
She calls on the law enforcement to continue to monitor and address the sales of the smuggled products. “They do not pay any license and tax to the government, while we do, yet they manage to be sold and those behind them profit and earn much,” she added.
Section 6 of Republic Act (RA) 7183, the law on manufacture, sales and distribution of fireworks strictly prohibits importation of finished firecrackers and fireworks.
Philippine Fireworks Association president Joven Ong also reiterates the need to finally address the proliferation of illegal pyrotechnic and firecracker products, particularly the ones smuggled from other countries. “There are stores that sell illegal and smuggled products,” he told PNP Chief Director General Rommel Francisco Marbil and other police officials in an inspection of fireworks stalls and media briefing in this town on Dec. 18.
Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando laments the pending result of the law enforcement’s review in the issuances of licenses to new manufacturers and dealers provided by Memorandum 31 of former President Duterte in 2018 to strictly implement RA 7183.
Section 6 of the memorandum provides, “Suspend the processing of new licenses and permits for the manufacture, sale, and distribution of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices pending review of existing licensees’ and permittees’ compliance with laws, rules and regulations; provided that other permits necessary for the operations of such existing licensees and permittees (e.g. permit to purchase/import ingredients, permit to transport) may continue to be issued unless such entities are found to have violated the relevant laws and issuances.”
Fernando said he is still waiting for the result of the said review of the licenses to manufacturers and dealers to allow more industry players. “The pending review hinders the operation of other interested Bulacan micro and small firecracker manufacturers. Fireworks is one of our major industries, we want more of our people to be allowed to legally become new players in the business. They are the micro, small and medium enterprises who are the lifeblood of our economy,” the governor also said during the inspection and briefing.
Cristina Valenzuela, OIC Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bulacan said in a media briefing on Dec. 13 that today, only 15 manufacturers in the country, mostly in Luzon areas managed to be issued a Philippine Standard (PS) mark for its products.
The PS mark ensures a better quality product, she said.
Online sales are not only being conducted by known online selling companies but even by the dealers. In some of the social media accounts of the fireworks stalls where they promote their products, they blatantly posted and promoted online selling. They answer queries through private messages of customers where bought products will be delivered through a rider. The payment is through electronic means.
Alapide assails online selling being conducted by industry members because they are illegal and absence of safety and proper handling of the fireworks products is a huge risk.
RA 7183 provides for a necessary issuance of permit to transport fireworks products. “Riders are not trained transporters or handlers of fireworks products. Any accidental explosion of online selling could be counted against the industry because that is illegal,” she said.
The still persistent manufacture and sale of illegal firecrackers by mostly unlicensed manufacturers and dealers like plapla, Bin Laden, Goodbye Philippines, and this year—a typhoon series illegal types “Cristine,” “Pepito,” “Yolanda,” “Ulysses,” also add up to the major challenges of the industry.
