THIS is a good time—several weeks away from the Christmas season—to remind pyrotechnists about their responsibility to keep the holidays safe and relatively pleasant.

Besides keeping the holidays celebrative, fireworks manufacturers must make it their business to observe health and safety standards for their workers, keep their neighborhoods secure and do the best they can to help prevent costly accidents and fires during the Christmas break.

Historically, the Christmas celebration and the New Year’s Eve revelry that follows it are a season of accidents, fires and even deaths owing to the abundance of firecrackers and fireworks in the community. On the late hours of December 31, in particular, the country erupts with a thunderous explosion, not unlike a war zone or a marketplace under terrorist fire.

The costs to human suffering, hospital care and economic losses are significant. Most victims lose a finger, a hand and even their eyesight. Many suffer scarred faces for life. Firecracker-related fires begin long before Christmas, when full-scale production starts.

Much of this tragedy could be avoided if the pyrotechnic industry polices its ranks and keeps an eye on colorum factories. It would help if the police close down unlicensed operations. Manufacturers have much to do to improve health and safety standards in their plants. Local governments must enforce zoning laws to keep production factories away from residential areas.

Congress and town councils must pass laws and ordinances outlawing the production of lethal crackers and banning their sale in retail outlets. Possession and use should be punished accordingly.

It is also criminal for businessmen to produce firecrackers that have the power of a bomb. What’s the point of producing super-lolos and other powerful crackers that maim, kill and destroy property? We light up firecrackers to welcome, send off or celebrate a milestone, not to wreak havoc on life and our possessions.

Although Bulacan is the firecracker capital, production has spread to provinces in the southern Philippines. Last year’s Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations were safer than those in previous years, but that record could stand improvement. A pyrotechnic-related fire, death or accident is one too many.

Gov. Josie de la Cruz of Bulacan should make another effort to keep the industry in line and make the holidays pleasant. She could begin in her backyard, the town of Bocaue, the pyrotechnic center of Bulacan. Her province should stop exporting mayhem to parts of the country.

Pyrotechnics could become a big business and moneymaker. The demand is reflected in current illegal importation of firecrackers from China. The National Bureau of Investigation busted a big ring recently.

Pyrotechnic products—including crackers, rockets, sparklers, noisemakers, flares and other fireworks—are popular not only on Christmases but during town fiestas and special celebrations. The potential for export is great. What the industry needs is to modernize and to innovate, introducing new technology to make products safer, improve health and safety norms and compete overseas. v>