DAVAO CITY — Authorities confiscated a total of 36 improvised “lantaka” and hundreds of illegal firecrackers during intensified police patrols across several areas of Davao City on the night of December 31, 2025 and the early hours of New Year’s Day, as part of the strict enforcement of the city’s long-standing firecracker ban.
Police reported that around 10:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, 14 improvised lantaka made from tin cans and plastic bottles were recovered in Barangay Leon Garcia, Agdao District. The items were allegedly being used by minors to create loud noises but were abandoned when police officers arrived. At around 3:30 a.m. on January 1, six more improvised lantaka were seized in Purok 29, Estores Malagamot, Panacan, while another 16 were confiscated in Barangay Riverside, Calinan District, following complaints from residents disturbed by the noise caused by the makeshift devices.
In a separate operation, personnel of Sasa Police Station 4 recovered various types of illegal firecrackers abandoned at the Sasa Public Market in Kilometer 11, Barangay Sasa, on Wednesday night, December 31. According to police, the items were wrapped in plastic cellophane and left behind by an unidentified man who fled upon noticing the authorities. The recovered firecrackers included 860 sparklers, five small fountains, three corsairs, five trompillos, and 10 assorted pyrotechnic lights, with an estimated total value of ₱3,455.
Police reiterated that the sale, possession, and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics remain strictly prohibited in Davao City under the firecracker ban that has been enforced for over 23 years. Authorities urged the public, especially parents and guardians, to cooperate with law enforcement and ensure children’s safety by refraining from using improvised or illegal noisemakers, particularly during holiday celebrations.