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Holy Family, God’s planNew Year’s Eve is three days away. As we prepare to welcome 2025, many rituals of customs will be included in the celebration. Families coming together, round fruits on the table, food dishes from heirloom recipes, coins and bills in the pocket, even dotted clothing. And many will still include the burst of light and sound from firecrackers, a deeply ingrained tradition meant to drive away bad luck. Yet, this custom comes with severe consequences: injuries, property damage, and environmental harm. The Department of Health (DOH) and law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned about these dangers, but the persistent use of firecrackers continues. As of Dec. 26, the DOH recorded 69 firecracker-related injuries, 86 percent of which were caused by illegal firecrackers such as the notorious “boga.” Of these, 58 victims were children aged 19 and below. Last year’s figures show a similar trend, with mostly minors affected. These injuries often lead to life-altering consequences, including amputations, burns, and eye damage. The fact that many victims are children underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement and public awareness. Republic Act (RA) No. 7183, signed in 1992, regulates the sale, manufacture, and use of firecrackers. The law bans dangerous items such as “super lolo,” “atomic bomb,” “watusi,” and oversized firecrackers. Violators face severe penalties, including fines of up to ₱30,000, imprisonment of up to one year, and revocation of licenses and business permits for manufacturers and sellers. Despite these measures, illegal firecrackers remain widely available. Recently, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) took down 115 social media sites selling banned items. Among these were accounts in Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). On Dec. 23, the PNP-ACG agents arrested two residents of Makati City for selling illegal firecrackers during the conduct of a buy-bust in San Fernando, Pampanga, where an agent posing as a buyer paid ₱60,000 for the items. Seized were 15 rims of “plapla,” 10 bundles of “kabase,” 27 pieces of “atomic bomb,” and 174 pieces of “small atomic bombs.” Aside from injuries, firecrackers pose significant environmental and health risks. They release harmful pollutants that contribute to air and noise pollution, aggravating respiratory conditions and distressing animals. Firecracker debris also clogs waterways and litters streets, adding to the environmental burden. The solution is simple yet impactful: opt for safer and sustainable alternatives. Use horns, musical instruments, or even household items like pots and pans to create noise, instead of firecrackers. Local government units (LGUs) can organize professional fireworks displays, which are better controlled and far less hazardous. Families can also bond over karaoke sessions or other creative activities to celebrate the occasion. Public awareness campaigns play a crucial role in shifting cultural attitudes. The DOH, PNP, and media outlets should continue educating communities about the dangers of firecrackers and the benefits of safer alternatives. Parents, too, must take responsibility by supervising their children and ensuring they do not have access to dangerous items. Welcoming the New Year should be a time of joy and hope, not a cause for hospital visits or mourning. By saying no to firecrackers, we can protect our loved ones, safeguard the environment, and foster a culture of safety and responsibility. Let us begin 2025 with a collective commitment to making our celebrations safer and healthier.
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DOD spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Monday the additional troops are to augment U.S. forces already there on heightened alert. The House voted Wednesday to pass its yearly defense bill that would give junior enlisted troops a significant pay bump and work to eliminate DEI programs at the Pentagon. It passed 281-140, with 16 Republicans voting no. Only 81 Democrats voted yes – 124 voting no – a much larger margin than in years passed when the legislation typically enjoyed bipartisan support. Many Democrats opposed a provision of the bill that restricts coverage of transgender treatments for minors. The legislation now heads to the Senate for passage before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature. The 1,800-page bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), details how $895.2 billion allocated toward defense and national security will be spent. It will be voted on more than two months after the start of the fiscal year. The $895.2 billion represents a 1% increase over last year’s budget, a smaller number than some defense hawks would have liked. A significant portion of the legislation focused on quality-of-life improvements for service members amid record recruitment issues , a focus of much bipartisan discussion over the last year. That includes a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increasing access to child care for service members while also providing job support to military spouses. The House voted Wednesday to pass its yearly defense bill that would give junior enlisted troops a significant pay bump and work to eliminate DEI programs at the Pentagon. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images) The measure authorizes a 4.5% across-the-board pay raise for all service members starting Jan. 1. The NDAA typically enjoys wide bipartisan support, but this year’s focus on eliminating "woke" policies could be hard for Democrats to stomach. PENTAGON ANNOUNCES NEW COUNTER-DRONE STRATEGY AS UNMANNED ATTACKS ON US INTERESTS SKYROCKET The policy proposal to prohibit Tricare, the military's health care provider, from covering transgender services for the minor dependents of service members has raised concerns, prompting the leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, to reconsider his support for the bill. "Blanketly denying health care to people who clearly need it, just because of a biased notion against transgender people, is wrong," he said in a statement. "This provision injected a level of partisanship not traditionally seen in defense bills." The goal of that provision is to prevent any "medical interventions that could result in sterilization" of minors. The legislation now heads to the Senate for passage before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature. (Fox News Digital) The bill included a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Other provisions, like a blanket ban on funding for gender transition surgeries for adults, did not make their way into the bill, neither did a ban on requiring masks to prevent the spread of diseases. The bill also supports deploying the National Guard to the southern border to help with illegal immigrant apprehensions and drug flow. Another provision opens the door to allowing airmen and Space Force personnel to grow facial hair; it directs the secretary of the Air Force to brief lawmakers on "the feasibility and advisability" of establishing a pilot program to test out allowing beards. HERE IS WHO IS VYING FOR POWER IN SYRIA AFTER THE FALL OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD Democrats are also upset the bill did not include a provision expanding access to IVF for service members. Currently, military health care only covers IVF for troops whose infertility is linked to service-related illness or injury. But the bill did not include an amendment to walk back a provision allowing the Pentagon to reimburse service members who have to travel out of state to get an abortion. The bill extends a hiring freeze on DEI-related roles and stops all such recruitment until "an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs" can be completed. It also bans the Defense Department from contracting with advertising companies "that blacklist conservative news sources," according to an internal GOP memo. The memo said the NDAA also guts funding for the Biden administration’s "Countering Extremist Activity Working Group" dedicated to rooting out extremism in the military’s ranks. The annual defense policy bill also does not authorize "any climate change programs" and prohibits the Pentagon from issuing climate impact-based guidance on weapons systems. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., touted $31 billion in savings in the legislation that would come from cutting "inefficient programs, obsolete weapons, and bloated Pentagon bureaucracy." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The compromise NDAA bill, negotiated between Republican and Democrat leadership, sets policy for the nation's largest government agency, but a separate defense spending bill must be passed to allocate funds for such programs.