Paputok Special!

New Year celebrations in the Philippines will not be complete without fireworks or paputok. The almost cliche reason behind doing so is the old belief that making noise drives away bad luck from the coming year. While there are lots of alternatives to the use firecrackers, or while there's really no credence behind the said tradition, Filipinos have become accustomed to it. In fact, while China, the birthplace of fireworks, has banned its manufacture and use, here in the Philippines it is a thriving, multi-million industry.
  

And at the center of this industry is the town of Bocaue in Bulacan Province. Annually, as the year comes to a close, merchants and buyers would flock to the main firework district in this town to buy firecrackers to sell in their respective locales or for personal consumption on New Year's Day. The demand is always high year after year, enough to support the livelihood of thousands of Bulakeños who make a living out of this dangerous merchandise. To cater to the demand, manufacturers have brought in some ingenious and creative ideas in firecracker-making changing its colors, its noise level and even its name.

Let's look at some of the popular firecracker brands in recent years:

1. Five-Star

This is the classic among all firecrackers in the Philippines, not just in name but also in victimizing users. I bet at least a third of firecracker injuries reported in the country annually is caused by five-stars. It is a small, triangular piece, with the gunpowder and the wick wrapped with brown paper. Those who are already professionals in its use would simply light the wick and throw the thing away at the nick of time. Those who are a bit chicken and want live with hands intact in the coming would use a lighting stick.

2. Sinturon ni Hudas (Judas Belt)

Its like a round of bullets for an American M60 machine gun, with five-stars glued side by side instead of bullets. It comes in various lengths, from 50 rounds to 5000 or more. This is the perfect choice for those who want to show their wealth. The richer you are, the longer the round you'll buy. It also has a longer noise duration compared to other firecrackers.

3. Pla-pla and Kabasi

These firecrackers named after certain species of fish in the Philippines are just larger in size than the five-star and has a more powerful but more dangerous bang.

4. Kwitis (Skyrockets)

The local version of a firecracker rocket. The explosive projectile is tied to a long bamboo stick which stabilizes and gives direction to it. Can be lit one by one or simultaneously using a lighting stick. There is a small version for kids called the baby rocket.

5. Whistle Bomb

It looks like a kwitis without its long bamboo stick. This firecracker emits a loud, whistling sound, similar to the one being emitted by missiles when they fall. Also has a powerful bang.

6. Fountain

This cone-shaped fireworks shots golden or multi-colored streaks of light for a certain period time. While virtually safe for bystanders to view, there have been reports of substandard fountains which have exploded upon use in the past. It can come in different sizes or stages. There is a multi-tiered fountain called whiskey.

 

7. Trumpilyo (Catherine Wheel)

This tube of fireworks rotates like a wheel while shooting out streaks of golden light. Usually comes with a nail which the user mounts on a wall or wooden post. It is called a Catherine Wheel in other countries because it is believed that St. Catherine was martyred by being nailed to a wheel.

8. Boga (PVC Cannon)

This type of noisemaker was invented and popularized by Caviteños in 2007. It is an innovation of the old bamboo cannon which is powered by gunpowder and tin cans as projectiles. In the boga, denatured alcohol is the chemical used, which is ignited by a flintlock trigger which produces the banging sound. While popular at first to both young and adult men, after incidents of bogas backfiring and injuries, the boga was finally banned by the government.

9. Goodbye Philippines/Goodbye Earth/Bin Laden

These are five-stars of extraordinary sizes whose explosive content is almost the same as those of conventional bombs and grenades. While totally banned by the government, it is being manufactured and sold illegally throughout Bulacan.

10. Pillbox

These powerful explosives are the perfect choice of young street gangsters in their clashes with other gangs. Usually made of gunpowder which is stored in a can or a small box. It may contain projectiles such as small nails or ball bearings. It is one of the main causes of deaths among student rioters back in the 70s and even up to now.

11. Watusi (Dancing Firecracker)

These tiny pieces of hardened gunpowder are the kid's favorite. Easy to light with friction, easy to throw and easy to buy. And there are various tricks to using it too. You can shake in inside the hollow of your palms; you can pop it by stepping and twisting your feet on top of it. You can sandwich it between flat stones and throw a rock at it. You can even swallow it if you're stupid enough to think that its candy.

12. Piccolo

While shaped like a woodwind instrument, this firecracker does not produce a sound close to that. It employs the same technique as the watusi -- just apply friction to it to ignite and throw it just in the nick of time. No wonder why this firecracker is the leading cause of hand injuries in children in recent New Years.

Injuries are not just to only problems caused by firecrackers. Pollution is another big issue to its use. Every year, our cities are covered by a thick layer of smog after a night of drunken and boisterous revelry. Firecracker noise has also been proven in medical researches as contributory to hearing loss in human and stress in animals.

Stay safe this New Year's Eve. Let's welcome the New Year with hands and feet complete!