Mandaue bans karaoke, videoke sessions on weekdays

Mandaue City is prohibiting karaoke and videoke sessions on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. so as not to disturb students attending online classes and work from home employees. | Inquirer.net stock photo

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City now prohibits videoke and karaoke sessions from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., and this is the city is under modified general community quarantine or MGCQ.

Mayor Jonas Cortes issued the Executive Order No. 83-C series of 2020 on Thursday, October 15 in consideration of students attending online classes from home as well as employees who are working from home.

Lawyer Lizer Malate, head of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said that they had received complaints from teachers, parents of students that were bothered by their neighbors’ karaoke sessions.

“Makadisrupt gyud sa pag-eskwela, mga maestra. Yes, we received these reports, and that is why ato ning gipagawas ning executive order,” he said.

(It can disrupt the classes and the teachers. Yes, we received these reports, and that is why we came out with this executive order.)

Read: Labella orders ban of karaoke singing during school hours

Malate added that the EO was pursuant to the City Ordinance No. 10-2006-360 and City Ordinance No. 14-2018-1301.

Individual violators will be fine of P1,000 or 10 days imprisonment for the first offense, P1,500 or imprisonment of 15 days for the second offense, and P3,000 and imprisonment of one month for the third offense.

Commercial establishments, on the other hand, may be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 and a warning against the establishment for the second offense and P4,000 and confiscation of videoke/karaoke machines for the third offense.

Meanwhile, Renato Gepega had expressed his support to the new EO, and that this would help his children who were working and and his grandchildren-students.

“Kaayuhan man ni…puros man ni sila naga-online (his children and grandchildren),” Gepega said.

(This is for the good of all … they are all online [his children and grandchildren].)

The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), Legal Enforcement Unit, City Hospital, Mandaue City Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), Business Permit Licensing Office (BPLO) and other regulatory offices were directed to implement the executive order.