'Bazooka' a hot-selling noisemaker in Lucena City Delfin Mallari Jr. Inquirer
December 26, 2006
LUCENA CITY--A retired band member in this city has fashioned a cannon out of a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe, turning it into a hot-selling noisemaker to welcome the New Year.
John Almario, 37, got the idea from the "boga" cannon invented by the Caviteņos.
He bought a red PVC "bazooka" in Cavite last year, tinkered with its parts and mechanisms, added some innovations and came up with his own design.
He now has a booming business selling the cannons in a makeshift stall along the main road of the Market View Village here.
"I knew I could make money from it," Almario told the Inquirer.
Two years ago, the "boga" cannon was very popular because it was a safe, cheaper and more effective noisemaker.
Like the cannon invented by the Caviteņos, Almario uses PVC pipes and fittings as the main materials.
Unlike the original cannon which uses a disposable cigarette lighter, Almario uses a gas stove igniter, that can be activated with the click of a triggering mechanism. This sets off a loud explosion from the combustion of squirts of methyl alcohol at the tail end of the pipe.
Almario showed the Inquirer a modern version of the traditional bamboo cannon made of a double barrel, size-4 PVC pipe which he sells for P1,200 apiece.
He said his invention could "produce a loud boom which could surpass the bang of Bulacan firecrackers."
Almario squirted a few drops of methyl alcohol on the back chamber and after shaking the tube a bit to create a vapor, he pulled the trigger.
The resulting blast was deafening, prompting some motorists to stop and inquire about Almario's bazooka-like cannon.
A youngster was overheard trying to convince his father to buy him a smaller version of the cannon which cost P600.
"Word spreads fast about the quality and the loud bang produced by my cannons," Almario said. "I have orders coming from neighboring towns so we have to work double time to beat the New Year deadline."
One of his workers was seen spraying paint on a finished cannon, making it look like the real McCoy.
Almario maintains a small working area at the back of his house where he and some of his hired hands assemble the noise device.
"Putting each cannon together requires meticulous attention. I always make sure that my products are safe to use by New Year revelers, unlike the traditional and often dangerous firecrackers," he said.
However, he would still advise buyers to take extra precaution when they fire the cannons.
"The user should make sure that the chamber is tightly sealed before pulling the trigger or it may backfire and cause injury to others," Almario said.
