The DOH held a press conference noontime of January 01 claiming that the campaign against firecracker usage is a success. But the numbers of cracker related incidence cannot lie. It speaks otherwise. It is a pseudo success considering that it dropped in all fairness to the Gangnam campaign. But only in a minimum risk.
Other disasters should also be the foci of new year campaign. For example, the fire brigade must heighten the alert for fire incidences next year. Though the number of cracker victims dropped this year we were not at all free from the fire that devastated Metro Manila areas. Just before the new year, 12 fire incidences happened simultaneously in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. This is an alarming phenomenon. It only shows that community awareness programs are not that strong in our country. People and local government units must be more responsible during this delicate moment of the year. Still, something is terribly wrong!
I went to mass the next morning after the welcoming of the year. I am not surprised that garbage is all around. Trashes and leftovers of the occasion were still on the grounds of street. And though I am not surprised, I am ashamed of the kind of culture we have here. Again, the responsibility lies on the local government shoulder. Designating street sweepers by 3 in the morning is just a suggestion. By morning of January 01 the entire municipal and metropolitan vicinity must be clean and remnants of New Year Street Parties must be a thing of the past already. The same is true with theme parks and national landmarks where most families spent the midnight glory breaking into 2013. The park management should remind the goers to be responsible of their own trashes. Cleanliness and deodorization must be a priority of this country and I am not kidding when I say this.
Lastly, the incidence that really brought heartache in all of us is about the indiscriminate firing of irresponsible gun owners that brought a seven year old named Stef Nicole Ella into her grave. The more we are silent about it as a community, the more courageous these monsters become. Each community must be watchful. The Philippine National Police must conduct New year disaster preparedness seminars that will educate residents of each Barangays to be more vigilant of gun owners within the neighborhood. The ricochet of gun bullets can cause injuries if not fatalities to our little ones. And I am deeply grudged by the fact that indeed most victims of gunfire incidences are children. This scenario is now being used by RH opponents who situates what happens when you enjoy at the expense of a child's innocent life as an analogue to what happens when you enjoy sex experience with your partner without the intention of bringing a child to life. This a think is a hysterical issue all the way. We must concentrate only on the gun issue and not on the ethos of the newly signed RH Law.
It is true, that more families now prefer to enjoy watching staged events, concerts, amusement parks and food tripping than buying firecrackers in Bocaue. The lifestyle brought by this hard times gives more spaces to family relationship and get togetherness than holiday expenses. But this should not give us reasons to be laidback and wait for another incidence to happen. You might not know that the next fire could be on your neighborhood or another ricochet of bullet from an indiscriminate firer be on your pasta plate much worse if on your rooftop.
My confessor give me one piece of advise before the year 2012 ended. "Instead of listening to doomsdayers and igniting fireworks, contemplate about the previous year." ---t'is the only way we can avoid the same tragedies we have had.
Isn't it nice to welcome a new year without any negative news to be bothered about?
