PASAY City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said city government is strictly enforcing an ordinance against loud noise from videoke sessions, construction works, factory machines and other sources of “high decibel” or excessive sounds which might disturb students as they deal with their classes under the current pandemic era.
“The national government especially through the Deped has exerted all efforts to ensure the continued education of our youth even amid the pandemic, through online classes, modular system and other special arrangements. Our communities and neighborhoods must make their corresponding contribution to this endeavor by simply not making excessive and unnecessary noise which could otherwise adversely affect our students in their study sessions.” Mayor Emi said.
The mayor said the youth’s study hours could be amply protected by Pasay’s Ordinance No. 6010 entitled “Anti Sound Pollution in the City of Pasay” or “Updated ordinance prohibiting anybody from producing or playing excessive, unnecessary and unreasonable noises from any and all sources in the community within the territorial jurisdiction of the city of Pasay” which was passed on June 2019, or months before the COVID-19 pandemic made face-to-face classes risky because of possible virus transmission.
The measure prohibits particular decibel levels of sounds in private properties, public properties, construction sites, and commercial or industrial locations during specific hours of the day and specific days of the week.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier said that local governments must have an ordinance prohibiting loud noises during online class hours and independent study periods. The two agencies added that loud sounds ‘can distract pupils and students alike from concentrating on their online classes, schoolwork, and other activities now that every home in the country has been turned into an extension of the school.’
Pasay’s Ordinance 6010 sets the penalties for violators, ranging from a minimum of P2,000 fine or imprisonment of one month or both depending on the discretion of the court (for a head of a family or residential house), to a fine of P2,000 and/or imprisonment of three months (for proprietors, presidents or general managers of Karaoke joints, night clubs, disco joints and similar establishments) plus cancellation of their business permits by the City Mayor. Presidents and general managers of construction firms that would violate the ordinance likewise face penalties of fines and imprisonment.
Mayor Emi added that Pasay LGU also has an existing Ordinance 6009 or the Anti-Modified Tail Pipe Ordinance which prohibits vehicles with noisy tailpipes from the City’s roads.
The mayor underscored that these ordinances against annoying noises actually protect not only the students but all of Pasay’s citizens in general.
