THE HOUSE of Representatives Committee on Public Order and Safety has begun tackling a bill seeking to limit the use of sing-along and other sound amplifying equipment between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in residential areas.
The measure, proposed by Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina Tan, aims to prevent unnecessary disturbance to residential areas, as well as to stop the negative social and health effects of such activities.
Under House Bill No. 1035 – “An Act Prohibiting the use of Videoke/Karaoke systems and Other Sound Amplifying Equipment that Cause Unnecessary Disturbance to the Public within the Residential Areas, and Providing Penalties Therefor” – the operation of such equipment audible within 50 feet distance from the source should be considered as evidence.
Other equipment enumerated in the bill were radios, CD players, television sets, amplified musical instruments, and loudspeakers.
Regardless of the occasion, Tan said individuals or groups would only allowed to use or operate such equipment from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
According to the measure, any person or business entity violating the rule would face a fine of P1,000 or an imprisonment of not more than six months, or both, based on the discretion of the court.
For succeeding offenses, both penalties would apply, in addition to the revocation of the license to operate a business, Tan said.
If the violation is committed by a corporation, partnership, association, or similar entity, the president, general manager or most senior officers would be held liable, she added.
During the committee hearing on Tuesday, Tan stressed the need for national legislation on the issue, saying it “has not only caused quarrels and divisions among our neighborhoods but also death to some individuals.”
Ruby Palma, volunteer from Friends of the Environment in Negros Oriental (Fenor), underscored that the “proliferation of videoke business gave rise to serious neighborhood quarrels,” and has “compromised the resting time especially of children, pregnant women and the elderly.”