‘Enforce anti-noise pollution measure’

Barangay officials were reminded to enforce Cebu City’s anti-noise ordinance especially during the Christmas season.

Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella urged the barangay officials to implement the ordinance after getting several complaints from residents especially those who livie near establishments operating video karaoke machines.

ban

City Ordinance No. 309, which is an amendment to the city’s anti-noise pollution regulation or Ordinance No. 1940, makes it “unlawful for any person to willfully cause loud and disturbing noise through, among other means, the uncontrolled operation of video karaoke sound systems, and other similar sound-producing devices within the City of Cebu, between the hours of 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. of the following day.”

penalty

The noise ordinance prohibits loud sounds only from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The volume of these machines or sound systems shouldn’t be more than 40 decibels.

Violation of the ordinance carries a P5,000 fine or a one year imprisonment or both.

complaints

“Time and again, it has been found that the enforcement of the ordinance, which has been delegated to the barangay authorities, slackens off and is neglected, such that complaints about excessive noise have been periodically received from the residents within the vicinity of the video karaoke and similar establishments, especially during the summer months and when fiestas are usually celebrated and the Christmas holidays,” said Labella in the resolution he sponsored which will be submitted to the City Council for deliberation on Wednesday.

In the resolution, Labella said he received several complaints about loud and disturbing noise from karaoke bars and nightclubs operating along Pelez Street and Sanciangko Street in barangay Kamagayan and along Osmeña Boulevard near the vicinity of the Land Bank of the Philippines.

According to Labella, the noise was affecting students and office workers who live in houses, dormitories and lodging houses and students who study on universities and colleges located in the area where sound machines are being used; thus the need to remind barangay officials of their responsibilities of enforcing the ordinance.

warning

Kamagayan barangay captain Celestino Avila in a phone interview yesterday said that he had already warned the establishments along the areas mentioned by Labella in his resolution.

He said he planned not to issue a barangay clearance to establishments this January to these establishments if they continue to ignore his warnings.

shared streets

However, he said only a portion of the Pelaez and Sanciangko Street belonged to his barangay.

He said that the areas mentioned were being shared by barangays Kamagayan, Parian and Kalubihan.

He also said that it was sometimes frustrating, that despite the barangay’s not issuing a barangay clearance to some establishments, they could still get a business permit at City Hall.

A barangay clearance is a requirement in getting a business permit.

He also said that the city government has not even strictly implemented the 100 meter ordinance on establishments serving liquor.

He said these establishments were situated after the fence of a university.

“The problem here is that City Hall would issue them a business permit. We were not’ sleeping on the job. We don’t issue a barangay clearance to an establishment and yet they still get a business permit at City Hall,” Avila said in Cebuano

He called on Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to look into this problem.