January 2, 2014 - When in Davao during the Holiday Season, one must observe one rule that it should be followed and that is the Firecracker Ban. Since its enactment, a dramatic decrease of firecracker-related injuries made Davao City its name on the news whether in television or radio.
Since then, instead of firecrackers making noise in the streets of Davao, Davaoeños found an alternative way to celebrate new year by using anything that can produce noise. For instance, instead of firecrackers, most stores would sell "torotots" and big horns to the customers but don't let the seller try them (true!).
Just this year, Davao held it's first ever "Davao Torotot Festival" and it aims to promote a firecracker-free New Year celebration and at the same time, it's also an attempt to break a record for the most people to blow horns at the same time for 10 seconds. This is a video during the festival.
Video from: marialeahflor LDC
In our neighborhood, when the clock strikes 12 A.M (or even few minutes before), our neighbors would start making noise and of course, we have to join the bandwagon for us to celebrate the New Year and it's not complete without riding in a car, just blowing the horn with the neighbors that we pass by. Here's my video.
Celebrating New Year here in Davao sets an example that we can still have fun without firecrackers. It's a lot noisier but everyone can participate even the little tykes! Most of all, it's not scary as it is really safe and it's an injury-free merrymaking. If you are a first timer here in Davao and want to spend New Year's Eve here, be sure to buy horns or anything that can make loud noise for you to celebrate New Year. Have fun! :D
Happy New Year! Thanks for reading!
The torotot province of Davao...exciting and very safety conscious people!
ReplyDeleteYup! since 2002, people were aware of the ban and luckily, found an alternative way to celebrate New Year! :D
DeleteOne can only wish other provinces would follow the example set by Davao. Great job, Davao!
ReplyDeleteI do hope they'll follow suit but I believe they will do it soon.. :)
DeleteI admire Mayor Duterte, action speaks louder than words.
ReplyDeleteYeah! Without his leadership, what would Davao be? It's why we admire our mayor.. :)
DeleteOh wow, bago lang ba yung turutot festival? I have never heard of that till now.
ReplyDeleteYup! It's a new festival for us to celebrate New Year in an alternative but merry way! :D
DeleteI really admire the mayor of Davao and its citizens for being really disciplined. I wish all the other cities would follow their example. New Year's eve in our place, thank goodness, was relatively peaceful unlike previous years.
ReplyDeleteSoon, all cities will follow what Davao have started 12 years ago.. :)
DeleteI think you guys broke the guinness book of records, hurray for Davao!!
ReplyDeleteWe just did! Hurray for Davao! :D
Deletethis is really a great way to prevent people from getting a much happier celebration rather than going to the hospital because of some serious injury, way to go Davao!
ReplyDeleteI agree! And at least, those who are working in the hospitals can celebrate New Year happily! :D
DeleteOh yes, you can still have fun sans firecrackers on New Year's eve. I don't get it why people love to burn their money on firecrackers. Hoping other places follow suit.
ReplyDeleteYou're right! We can still have so much fun without firecrackers although I love seeing fireworks light up the sky, I still prefer torotots and other things that can make noise for New Year.. :)
DeleteDavao is one of improved province , I admire the leader who tried their best to make Davao one of the best tourist spot in our country.
ReplyDeleteThanks! But Davao is a city not a province.. Yes, it's part of Davao Region but it's separate from other provinces of Davao Region.. :)
DeleteAnd we also admire our mayor for his efforts to make Davao a safe and peaceful city.. :)
that is safe to celebrate the New Year and even won't get hurt. We had that on New Year's Day and the kids had a bast blowing with the horns :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know that they had fun blowing at the horns during New Year! :)
DeleteHonestly, why can't more of the Philippines be like Davao.
ReplyDeleteSoon, Philippines will be like Davao. :)
DeleteI was absolutely thrilled with the idea of Davao's toroto fevstival! I am sure it will reach Guinness soon! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope in the Guinness Book of Records, I can see the picture of people blowing their horns with the title of it.. :)
DeleteEven though there are no fireworks, New Year in Davao was fun too.A very great way and mind you, safe too to celebrate New Year! :) This should be a yearly thing... and hopefully not only in Davao.
ReplyDeleteYeah! We can still have fun without firecrackers and fireworks and yes, hopefully, the whole country will follow suit.. :)
DeleteIba talaga ang Davao. Sana ganyan lahat sa Pinas. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope! Let's cross our fingers! :D
DeleteI think the torotot festival was eying for the Guiness record. I hope you got the record.
ReplyDeleteI think we did it! :D
DeletePero for me iba pa rin if we have fireworks. It's not the same without them on New Years, of course Torotot can be a good noisemaker also.
ReplyDeletefireworks are beautiful to look at but yeah, I hope the government can do something about it like to have a fireworks show in one place. But we don't know that it may contain some firecrackers too and it can possess danger to us. It's better to be safe and sure than sorry afterwards.. :)
DeleteCongratulations Davao City. I was monitoring the Torotot Festival on the news during New Year. The whole Philippines should follow Davao City as an example of stress free and accident free New Year. Although Fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally the main noisemakers of New Year, eventually we will get used to using safer alternatives like Torotot. I still prefer Torotot over fireworks. Cheaper, noiser and safer.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Torotots are way safer and more fun than firecrackers that all you have to do is to get scared and scream at the top of your lungs! hehe! :D
Deletei like this A LOT because this initiative only proves that you don't need firecrackers to ring in the New Year..
ReplyDeleteYup! we can really celebrate New Year without them. Torotots can do the job of making noise! :D
DeleteI salute davao for doing this no fireworks for long time now. And the torotot festival is something really interesting. I hope I can jjoin next yr. Haha!
ReplyDeleteYou can celebrate this year if you want! Just bring your torotot, register and you're ready to celebrate with us! :D
DeleteSana, dito rin sa Muntinlupa may total fire cracker ban. Eh, marami pa ngang nagpaputok ng guns eh. Hope I can spend even just one New Year Eve sa Davao.
ReplyDeleteWhy not! You can celebrate with us here in Davao! :D
DeleteOh I love the way Davao City celebrates Christmas. It is safe and economical. It think the rest of the country should follow.
ReplyDeleteI like it that Davao has banned firecrackers for so many years already...I hope that the ban would be implemented across the country so that there would be less injuries during the new year.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good promotion, not only is it safe, but I think it's more fun and no kalat heheh :)
ReplyDeleteNew way of celebrating New Year...great indeed, a Torotot Way!
ReplyDeletevery true! here in malaysia and also singapore they just have particular place for the gov. to put fireworks and the rest will just watch and have their torotots too!
ReplyDeleteA torotot festival would surely make the ban of firecrackers fun and appealing. Sana yung ibang lugar sa Pilipinas, ganto rin.
ReplyDeletePer report, there's more injuries this year than the last. Firecrackers should be banned in Manila and our people here should be inspired by the Davao City way. Torotot is better and safer.
ReplyDeleteI guess other Mayors should also implement this because death and injuries inflicted from firecrackers has been a perennial problem ever since.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I heard of such "torotot" festival. How I hope our LGU would adopt it as a policy so that we can do away with casualties arising from using firecrackers.
ReplyDeleteI really admire Davao.. they just proved that New Year can be happy without all the fireworks! :)
ReplyDeleteThe famous torotot festival in Davao. Hope that other cities will do this too, instead of the deadly firecrackers every New year.
ReplyDeleteHey, isn't it your mayor is Duterte? If so, I'm not surprised Firecracker Ban is strictly enforced. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice campaign promoting a firecracker free in Davao Torotot Festival. I hope ganon din samin Next Year or even in the whole country para iwas disgrasya.
ReplyDeleteYeay! No firecracker in New Year!. I love Davao and I wish I could visit that beautiful place soon! :)
ReplyDeleteYou know what I like about Davao during New Year is that the mayor (strictly) encouraged not to use firecrackers. Well, it's a crime to fire up firecrackers in that city. In my family, it's not anymore a tradition to buy firecrackers just to see them lighted up and boom!
ReplyDeleteThere/s 80% chance of getting burned, mutilated and killed by firecrackers.
Kudos to Duterte for making things happen! for the past 10 years we have to go someplace else to celebrate new year in order to avoid the noise, the smoke and all the dangers of firecrackers.
ReplyDelete