ACTING on complaints from parents, teachers and students engrossed in online learning, the city government of Manila has banned the daytime use of videoke and karaoke machines from Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., effective immediately.
City Council Ordinance 8688, signed by Mayor Isko Moreno yesterday, penalizes violators with fines of P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P3,000 for the third offense.
Moreno said the ordinance also covers other “sound-producing devices that disturb our communities.”
“We decided to do this amid a spate of complaints from parents of students who are into online classes under the blended distance learning,” Moreno said, adding police and barangay officials will implement the ordinance.
Face-to-face classes in public and private schools in the country have been suspended due to the pandemic, prompting the Department of Education to shift to a blended distance learning mode.
A Department of Interior and Local Government official said barangay officials should also ban motorcycles with loud mufflers and unnecessary blowing of horns, among others, to help students concentrate on their online classes.
Interviewed on dzBB, DILG Undersecretary for barangay affairs Martin Diño said barangay officials should come up with an ordinance and enforce them to the letter.
PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan and Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar have earlier asked barangay officials to pass an ordinance banning videoke so as not to disturb online classes.
“Secretary Año directed all barangays in the country to pass ordinances to stop videoke, noise from mufflers of motorcycles, and other distractions, noise in the community, including crowing of roosters,” said Diño.
Told that some policemen may be the owners of these roosters, Diño said: “Arrest the policemen.” He later gave a big laugh. — With Victor Reyes
