Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Tuesday urged Congress to pass legislation banning children from using firecrackers, citing the frequent injuries Filipino minors sustain during holiday celebrations.
At a press conference at Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City, Herbosa suggested that allowing children to handle fireworks—especially when parents provide money to buy them—could be considered child abuse.
“Hindi ba parang child abuse ‘yan pagka hinahayaan mo ‘yung bata, lalo na kung nanay o tatay ‘yung nagbigay ng pera, para bilhin ‘yung paputok? ‘Yung paputok, ‘yung binigay mong pera, tapos binigay mo sa bata, tapos na-injure ‘yung bata… Baka dapat mag-focus sa child abuse,” he said.
“Nagsasawa na ko, every year naman bata lagi ang nabibiktima eh. We should protect our children. Children should not handle fireworks,” he added.
Herbosa said he is ready to support any legislator who advances laws to prevent children from using firecrackers.
Previous attempts include Senate Bill 724 by Senator Win Gatchalian in 2019, and similar bills such as Senate Bill 493 by Senate President Tito Sotto, Senate Bill 517 by Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, and Senate Bill 906 by former Senator and now-Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay, all aiming to regulate or ban firecracker use under Republic Act 7183.