Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak
WITH only a few days before Christmas, Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak announced that selling firecrackers inside malls and other establishments is no longer allowed.
Tumulak said that according to the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, s. 2014 dated December 4, 2014, of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), “All malls and other similar establishments shall not be utilized as display centers for selling of firecrackers and pyrotechnics unless done through media presentation or other means without necessarily displaying the said firecrackers therein.”
In line with this, DILG Regional Director Rene Burdeos sent a letter to Mayor Tomas Osmeña reminding all concerned officials to implement and observe their respective roles and responsibilities in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.
Tumulak received the same letter and has furnished copies to malls and other establishments for them to be guided accordingly.
Tumulak said they will also create a task force that will oversee the implementation of the order in malls, other establishments, as well as in sidewalks.
“It is a risk that they (vendors) will publicly sell firecrackers,” Tumulak said.
If they catch anyone selling firecrackers in prohibited areas, Tumulak said they will confiscate the items and revoke the DTI permit of the establishment.
However, firecracker vendors are allowed to sell their items at the designated firecracker zone at the South Road Properties.
Personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will be deployed in the area to monitor the operation and ensure order.
Earlier, Osmeña said the city government allotted 50Correspondent Inna Gian Mejia