Baguio City’s final count of fireworks-related injuries during the holiday revelries showed a total of eight cases with no deaths or stray bullet incident but with one major injury that resulted in amputation.
The suspected stray bullet incident was removed from the list following a police investigation report ruling it out as such.
The City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) of the Baguio City Health Services Office said the eight incidents were recorded from 6 a.m. of December 21, 2024 to 5:59 a.m. of January 6, 2025.
The number represents a 33 percent decrease from the incidents of the same period last year where a total of 12 incidents were listed.
Age range of the cases were from 9 to 27 years old with a median age of 13 years old. Most of 88 percent of the cases affected were males.
Comparing the number of fireworks-related injuries between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 periods, the CESU noted that December 31 and January 1 recorded the highest number of injuries during both times.
“However, the 2024-2025 period saw a slight reduction in injuries, indicating that ongoing safety efforts and public awareness campaigns have likely contributed to this positive outcome,” the CESU said.
Most of the injuries sustained this year were eye injury with four cases, followed by blast or burn injury with no amputation with three cases and blast or burn injury with amputation with one case.
Four incidents occurred at home and the other four on the streets.
Five of the total were caused by “boga” and one each caused by kwitis, five star and crying cow or pla-pla which led to amputation.
The surveillance was in line with the Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region DOH-CHD-CAR Circular No. 2024-0014 requiring the daily submission of fireworks-related injury data during the yuletide injury surveillance period from December 21, 2024 to January 6, 2025.
The theme for this year’s yuletide surveillance is “Pamilyang Patok, ‘Pag Kumpleto at Ligtas!”
The CESU said an online reporting system was developed and was used by the district health centers and hospitals in reporting cases captured. Also, a self-reporting form was made and shared to the public. Active surveillance at the different hospitals in the city was also conducted by the CESU from December 30, 2024 to January 1, 2025. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
