_: The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) has issued a directive to its personnel and that of the municipal DRRMOs to be on ‘red alert’ to ensure a safe observance of New Year’s Day.

PDRRMO chief Broderick Train said in an interview Friday that the red alert status will run from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, with provincial and municipal DRRMO personnel being on duty in two shifts for 24 hours.

‘There will be a close monitoring of the firecracker zones, beaches and inland resorts as well as other convergence areas to make sure that the people are safe,’ he said.

He added that the deployment of the provincial and municipal DRRMO personnel will allow them to swiftly respond to any New Year’s Day-related incidents.

The province has not yet received any report related to the firecracker or other pyrotechnics incident since Christmas Day.

‘So far, the Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office has not yet sent us a report related to the firecracker or other pyrotechnics incident,’
he said.

Meanwhile, Antique Provincial Police Office Staff Sergeant John Mark Gonzaga said based on their assessment, the province was generally peaceful with no incident of indiscriminate firing from the police or any other authorities during Christmas Day.

‘There will be no nozzle taping of guns anymore just like last year,’ he said.

Police personnel in Antique also had no nozzle taping during the Christmas Day celebration.

He said police personnel have been on full alert since the first week of December when Antique had its Binirayan Festival, and that the lowering of the alert status will depend on the assessment of the Police Regional Office 6.

Gonzaga reminded commuters to avoid having intoxicating drinks to prevent vehicular accidents.

He also warned firecracker vendors against selling prohibited items such as pla-pla and Goodbye Philippines.
Source: Philippines News Agency