BOCAUE, Bulacan—The fireworks industry glittered in 2010 after it set a record of last minute good sales despite government anti-fireworks bombardment and official of pyrotechnic association in the country attributed the silver lining shine in the business on Filipinos new found hope for better lives under the leadership of President Aquino.
Celso Cruz, chairman emeritus of Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI) said they have already forecasted that sales will go up due to the new found hope and prosperity brought about by the ascendency of Mr. Aquino as the new leader of our country.
Cristy Magaling, owner of Ace Fireworks at a pyro-zone in Barangay Turo going to Gov. F. Halili road here said many of them were amazed on the tremendous sales starting on December 26 where most of them recorded a sales of P200-P300,000 a day.
“Lahat kami dito mahina ang P200,000 na benta kada araw simula nung December 26. May P300,000 pa na benta dito at mas malaki pa. Nagtuloy tuloy na ang magandang benta na iyon hanggang noong December 31. Iyon naman ang dasal namin” Magaling said.
Magaling who engaged in the fireworks retail business in time for New Year sales for the first time said she and her partner is most likely to venture in the same work next year due to good profit and earning they’ve experienced.
Tony Dinglasan which firecracker store within the pyro zone exploded in 2007 had already run out of stock during the 24-hour last minute sales because of regular customers that came in including new buyers from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
His son’s store, the first along the piles of stores in the pyro-zone area had a jump packed of buyers and have to attend and accommodate all of them even just a couple of hours before the welcome fete for of New Year.
The two admitted good sales this year compared to previous years but could not immediately give an estimate of the amount of sales and earning they had.
The fireworks store owned by Police Supt. Manuel Lukban, next after the Dinglasan’s and Magaling also followed in the trend of good last minute sales.
Celso Enriquez, owner of Unistar Fireworks in the other wing of Turo going to Bocaue town proper also said they started to feel the kick in the sales on Sunday because it is the traditional start of the good sales in the industry every Yuletide Season.
But he said, compare to previous years, sales for this year is far low.
He expressed sentiment over the lost of his huge sales from his regular in Makati City after usage of firecracker in a village there was banned by the city local government due to a gas leak to avoid any accidental explosions.
Cruz said the new found hope and prospect of good lives ahead under a new leader in Malacanang drove many Filipinos to celebrate new year and patronage firecracker products despite series of attacks by various government agencies.
“Gusto ng mga Filipino mag celebrate ng new year kasi may pag-asa kay PNoy na umasenso ang buhay ng marami sa atin,” Cruz who co-founded the PPMDAI in 1993, the following year after RA 8173, the laws that allows the manufacture, sale and distribution of fireworks had been passed told NEWS CORE.
He said as experienced on the night of December 31, people started lighting fireworks as early as 9pm in Metro Manila and lasted up to 1am.
The excitement and eagerness of the people in cracking and lighting fireworks, Cruz said came amidst Department of Health (DOH) “Iwas Paputok” campaign, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Product Standard (PS) seal inspection, close tax monitoring by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), police raid and similar fire safety inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection and the banning of sale and usage in some local governments in Metro Manila and some provinces.
Joven Ong, president of Dragon Fireworks Inc., also a member of the PPMDAI supported Cruz claim on the positive attitude of many Filipinos these days that favored the industry. “There is truth in that. People when optimistic tend to celebrate and thus spend more on fireworks,” he said.
But, Vimie Erise, president of PPMDAI despite the beam of success in the industry sales in 2010 expressed sadness and frustration there are still numerous individuals particularly children who were victimized of firecracker related incidents during the welcome celebration of the new year.
Erise said it is always the industry that is being blamed because of the said accidents but it is the responsibility of the parents of the children to guide or not allow their kids from cracking fireworks during new year’s celebration.
Erise said the more than half a billion worth fireworks industry in the country can further grow if all government and public sector efforts will be geared toward fully accepting and acknowledging the industry and pushing hard for an individual’s safety use campaign.
She said it is really the information campaign on safely usage and cracking of firecracker and pyrotechnic products which should be the focus of the government agencies rather than continuously attacking them.
According to Erise, the opposition and contradiction approach of the government to the industry even make people more eager to buy and crack fireworks.
“Ang mga Filipino ganyan, habang pinagbabawalan, lalong nanggigigil at hindi tuloy nakakaganda sa industriya,” she said.
She said for 2011, the PPMDAI will dwell on massive information campaign on safety usage of firecracker products.
Erise said the government should also rather concentrate on banning and strictly preventing the smuggling of imported products from China which include piccolo in order to better implement a zero-firecracker accident for the new year’s fete.
Piccolo, according to the DOH is one of the most toxic deadliest firecracker product that have victimized many Filipinos particularly children.
Lukban also blamed the swamping of the said low priced smuggled items from China as what have caused the sales not to have fully comprehended.
Lukban said the good sales were only recorded on the last six days, but before that, his sales has dropped to almost 50% because of the said smuggled products that were favored by buyers and also because of business competition as new stores and retail outlets have sprouted in time for the new year sale.
“Nag-drop to almost 50% masyado kasi dumami ang nagbebenta kaya ang prices ay hindi nagawang tumaas. Lumaki ang competition at masyadong maraming items na galing China na bagsak presyo. Generally, masyadong marami products ang lumabas sa market, malaki ang naging kita ng suppliers pero ang store retailers ay humina ang kita dahil lumakas at dumami ang competitions,” he said.