DAYTIME private videoke and karaoke machines in Davao City are now one step ahead from being prohibited after the 19th City Council passed on third and final reading its proposed ordinance that will penalize those who will cause unnecessary noise while students are studying from home as part of the blended learning system.
The proposed ordinance, titled "An Ordinance Prohibiting The Operation of Daytime Private Videoke/Karaoke Machines Within Residential Area While Blended Distance Learning is Ongoing During Covid-19 Pandemic," was passed on the City Council on Tuesday, November 17.
According to the ordinance, the use of private karaoke and videoke machines will not be allowed from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays, except on Sunday, special, and legal holidays.
The ordinance stated that it "shall only apply to those private karaoke and videoke machines within residential areas during the Covid-19 pandemic; be it indoor or outdoor as long as it will emit noise pollution." This, however, will not apply to KTV establishments.
Violators of the ordinance will be penalized. For the first offense, violators will be fined P1,000, while P3,000 for the second offense, and for the third offense, a fine of P5,000 or imprisonment of not less than one day but not more than three days, depending on the discretion of the court will be meted upon by the violators.
It will be enforced by the barangay officials. Any complaint involving the provision of the ordinance will be brought before the chairperson of the barangay or to a police personnel.
Councilor Jessica Bonguyan, committee chairperson on information technology, filed the proposed ordinance as part of the measures of the city in helping students concentrate with their classes, whether through online, printed module, or radio or TV-based instructional learning.
The ordinance proponent said many parents, teachers and students are complaining with the nuisance brought about by the private videoke and karaoke machines.
"Such ordinance will aid the students and teachers to focus more on the lectures that are conducted within the confines of their homes. These will help create a more conducive environment for our students to absorb their lessons properly, and for the teachers to effectively discuss their lessons," Bonguyan said.
The city already enforced the Anti-Nuisance Ordinance even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic to regulate the use of videoke machines and other sound-producing devices. It was crafted after several complaints have been received due to the noise generated by videoke machines. In this ordinance, making loud and unnecessary, or annoying and irritating noises produced by megaphones, amplifiers, DVD players, stereos, loud speakers, radio and/or any sound system is not allowed.
However, Bonguyan said her proposed ordinance is not a redundancy to the existing Anti-Nuisance Ordinance since the latter does not provide for a total prohibition of the operation of videoke and karaoke machines during daytime.
The councilor admitted that she had faced criticisms because of this ordinance.
Meanwhile, the ordinance is set to be signed by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
