Hours to New Year’s Day, firecrackers and pyrotechnics sold briskly in Barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City.

At about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, three rows of firecrackers on the shelves at a stall tended by Cherry Rose Pelone, a vendor, were all sold out.

In an interview, Pelone said she is extremely delighted at the good return on sales.

Days to Christmas Day, she said, she worried over the prospect of sluggish sale as Cebu is yet on its road to full recovery after the series of calamities. But contrary to her worries, that fellow vendors have shared in, buyers flock to their stalls from as far as Cebu City.

Larry Factoran, for example, is one of their buyers. Factoran is from Barangay Budlaan, an upland barangay of Cebu City.

Meanwhile, Florencio Sitoy, a resident of Barangay Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, cited it is hard to break with the tradition of noisemaking using firecrackers and fireworks. He set aside P1,500 just to keep up with the practice.

According to the vendors, there was no price increase on the firecrackers and pyrotechnics. In fact, they said, they give generous discounts for bulk purchases.

Among the items that sold vigorously are local Roman candles and mercury.

To further ensure compliance with safety measures, personnel of the Philippine National Police are deployed in the designated area in Barangay Babag.

While customers were allowed to take children with them, the latter were prohibited from touching or purchasing any of the items.

Further, additional personnel of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) were deployed in the area to help pad further traffic congestion.