The Philippine Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association (PPMDA) President Lea Alapide said consumers are eager to use firecrackers to celebrate this holiday season after its sales were regulated last year.

"The individual consumers are really eager, because we always hear from them the line 'Let's light up the air. Maybe it will kill COVID'," Alapide said Monday in the ''Laging Handa'' virtual forum.

The eagerness is also due to the declining cases of COVID-19 in Metro Manila.

"They are so eager in their own way to celebrate using fireworks, because they are saying it is the Filipino tradition which we wait at the end of the year, those are their words when they come over to the stores," she added.

Alapide said the prices of firecrackers could increase because of the higher cost of its raw material.

"I will give you an example of the increase based on the chemical used by the manufacturers. For example, chloride before was being sold for P3,700. This reached to P10,500 ," she said.

Alapide also asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to strictly prohibit selling of illegal firecrackers.

''We are calling the PNP because I do not have the police power but I can only inform the PNP and DTI to help us... in Divisoria it is not even zoned to sell fireworks and yet some of our consumers tell us there are firecrackers being sold," she said.

"We hope that government agencies will be able to help the licensed store," she added. Robina Asido/DMS