Regulation on Firecrackers and Pyrotechnics

Allowed firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices

Section 2 allows the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of the following firecrackers:
- Baby rocket, a firecracker with a stick that propels it a few meters before exploding, about 1 1/2 inches long by 3/8 inch in diameter, with a stick about a foot in length.
- Bawang, a firecracker larger than a triangulo with 1/3 teaspoon of powder packed in cardboard tied around with abaca strings and wrapped in the shape of garlic.
- Small triangulo, shaped like a triangle with powder content less than the bawang, usually wrapped in brown paper measuring 3/4 inch length in its longest side.
- Pulling of strings, a small tube about an inch in length and less than 1/4 of an inch in diameter with strings on each end that explode when both strings are pulled.
- Paper caps, a minute amount of black powder spread in small strips of paper or on a small sheet used for children’s toy guns.
- El diablo (also known as labintador), tubular about 1 1/4 inches in length and less than 1/4 inch in diameter with a wick.
- Watusi, usually reddish, about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/10 inch wide, ignited by friction to produce dancing movement and a crackling sound.
- Judah’s belt, a string of firecrackers made of either diablos or small triangulos numbering up to about a hundred, culminating in a large firecracker usually a bawang.
- Sky rocket (kwitis), a large baby rocket designed to be propelled to 40 to 50 feet before exploding.
- Other types equivalent to the foregoing in explosive content.
Section 2 allows the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of the following pyrotechnic devices:
- Sparklers, pyrotechnic devices of black powder on wire or inside a paper tube designed to glow after igniting.
- Luces.
- Fountain, conical sparkler lit on the ground, providing rising colors and intermittent lights.
- Jumbo regular and special, bigger fountain-type sparklers.
- Mabuhay, sparklers bunched into a bundle of a dozen pieces.
- Roman candle, fountain-type shaped like a big candle.
- Trompillo, a spinning device that spins clockwise then counterclockwise and provides colored lights when ignited.
- Airwolf, a sky rocket shaped like an airplane with a propeller to rise about 40 to 50 feet and provide light while aloft.
- Whistle device, firecrackers or pyrotechnic that emits whistle-like sound or explodes afterward upon ignition.
- Butterfly, a butterfly-shaped device that lifts above ground and provides light.
- All kinds of pyrotechnic devices (pailaw).
- Other types equivalent to the foregoing devices.

Prohibited devices and dangerous content

Section 3 prohibits the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of other types of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices not mentioned in Section 2.
Section 3 also prohibits devices with explosive content that could endanger life and limb, including atomic big triangulo, super lolo, and their equivalent.
Section 3 vests the Director-General of the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the authority to determine what constitutes prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.

Licensing and business-permit requirements

Section 4 provides that licenses or permits to manufacture, sell, and distribute firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices shall be granted only for the items enumerated in Section 2.
Section 4 prohibits the grant of any license or permit for the manufacture, sale, and/or distribution of prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices under Section 3.
Section 4 requires applicants to file an application for a license or business permit with the Chief of the PNP, through the provincial director of the province where the business or project is located.
Section 4 requires Metro Manila applicants to submit applications through the Commanding Officer of the Firearms and Explosives Unit, Headquarters, PNP.
Section 4 allows the charging of reasonable fees for issuance of licenses or permits to defray the cost of regulating manufacture, sale, and distribution.

Who may be licensed (qualification)

Section 5 limits issuance of a license or permit to manufacture or to deal in wholesale or retail of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices to:
- (a) Filipino citizens of good moral character; or
- (b) entities duly registered with the Bureau of Commerce of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with one hundred per centum (100%) of capitalization owned by Filipino citizens.

Importation of chemicals and ingredients

Section 6 prohibits the importation of finished firecrackers and fireworks.
Section 6 allows importation of chemicals or explosive ingredients only by duly licensed manufacturers.
Section 6 requires any person licensed to manufacture, deal in, or purchase chemical and explosive ingredients who wants to import explosive ingredients to file an application with the Chief of the PNP, through the provincial director of the province where the business or project is located.
Section 6 requires Metro Manila applicants to submit applications through the Commanding Officer of the Firearms and Explosives Unit, Headquarters, PNP.

Safety guidelines for manufacture and use

Section 7 requires strict compliance with safety precautions, rules, and regulations by manufacturers, distributors and users of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.
Section 7 requires local governments to designate a zone for a manufacturing complex, with the outer perimeter at least three hundred (300) meters from the nearest residential units, and with no residential unit permitted nearer than three hundred (300) meters from the perimeter once defined.
Section 7 requires the manufacturing complex to be governed by safety measures including:
- Buildings with adequate ventilation, no concrete floors, leak-proof construction, and necessary fire extinguishers.
- A warehouse at least fifty (50) meters away from any processing station of the complex.
Section 7 requires processing stations to be laid out with the following minimum distances from each other, with all sides open:
- Mixing – 50 MTS
- Grinding – 40 MTS
- Packaging – 40 MTS
- Nagmimitsa – 20 MTS
- Loading – 20 MTS

Labeling, records, and reporting

Section 8 requires firecrackers and pyrotechnic packages to bear labels indicating the name and address of their manufacturers and warning instructions written in Filipino and English.
Section 9 requires every person authorized to purchase and use explosives under the Act to keep a complete, itemized, and accurate record showing:
- Quantities and kinds of explosives; and
- The purpose for which the explosives were used.
Section 10 requires licensees to submit, at the end of every month, a monthly report for explosives in triplicate to the Chief of the PNP, through the provincial director where the business or project is located.
Section 10 requires the provincial director to retain the triplicate copy for file and forward the original and duplicate copies to Headquarters, PNP with comment, recommendation, or notation.

Enforcement, rules, penalties, and sanctions

Section 12 makes the PNP primarily responsible for administration and enforcement of the Act.
Section 12 requires the PNP to transmit cases for prosecution arising from violations to proper government prosecutors for appropriate action.
Section 11 imposes penalties for violations: any person who manufactures, sells, distributes or uses firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices in violation of the Act is punishable by:
- a fine of not less than PHP 20,000.00 nor more than PHP 30,000.00, or
- imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than one (1) year, or
- both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court,
- in addition to cancellation of the person’s license and business permit, and confiscation by the government of inventory or stock.
Section 12 authorizes the PNP, after public hearing and consultation with the firecrackers and pyrotechnic industry, to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to regulate and control manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and importation, including determination and review of gun powder and other raw material content, in accordance with the Act.
Section 12 authorizes local chief executives to promulgate necessary rules and regulations within their territorial jurisdiction in conformity with national standards, rules, and regulations.

Rules on repeal and effectivity

Section 13 repeals Executive Order No. 52, series of 1966, and repeals or modifies all laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts inconsistent with the Act.
Section 14 provides that Republic Act No. 7183 takes effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Republic Act No. 7183 was approved January 30, 1992.