(Today’s column)
Filipinos are music lovers. We like listening to music and we love singing and dancing as well. Music evokes different kinds of emotions and reactions. It can be soothing and relaxing, it can be upbeat and exciting, it can even be nostalgic. But when one’s love for music results in the rest of the neighbors not being able to listen to their own brand of music right inside their own homes, should the neighbors suffer in silence?
Our next-door neighbors love karaoke singing. Not inside their house with the windows and doors closed but on the front porch and in volumes that can be heard at the end of the street. They’re not great singers and, most times, we have to bear with the off-key singing and it doesn’t seem to bother them that they have to inflict their ugly singing on the entire neighborhood. But since they don’t do their concerts 24/7, we simply close our doors and windows—with a bang to let them know we don’t appreciate the horrible noise—to block the unwanted intrusion.
Our situation is not even what many would consider to be a serious problem because at least the singing stops before midnight. There are people who suffer much worse. See, Antipolo is, by and large, a residential and resort town. There are residential areas near side-by-side resorts where the residents have to bear with drunken karaoke singing until the wee hours of the morning. I don’t know why these resorts don’t get their licenses revoked. I know that there is an ordinance that prohibits karaoke singing beyond midnight.
In Cattleya Farm Resort where houses with private pools furnished with karaoke machines can be rented for the day or night, there are huge signs quoting the ordinance. And the owners enforce the rule. But that doesn’t seem to be the case in other resorts where the karaoke machines are not even placed in enclosed areas. Rather, they are situated in open spaces where the singers can bust their lungs out al fresco while drinking.
It’s not like there is a need to pass new ordinances and laws to address the situation. There are provisions on Nuisances in the Civil Code and there are even Presidential Decrees on the subject. What’s really curious is whether barangay officials who are presumed to know what’s going on in their barangay are aware of these laws.
It just seems to me that the attitude being taken is that the noise can go on unless someone complains. But Filipinos are not exactly confrontational. In fact, among neighbors, it is not unusual for people to simply suffer in silence rather than antagonize the neighbors—more so if the neighbors are relatives. They just want to remain on friendly terms.
Music is great, really, and human existence is enhanced by it. But the noise that karaoke and videoke singing makes—plus the addition of the most recent noise maker, the Magic Sing—goes beyond the issue of love for music. This is about respect for other people and their right to live in peace and quiet. This is about unwanted intrusion inside our homes that disrupts our lives and peace of mind. This is about people enjoying themselves at the expense of others.
The sad truth is that it is not illegal to own and operate a karaoke, videoke, and Magic Sing machines. The even sadder truth is that sale of these equipment is not regulated. Anyone who can afford it can buy one. There is no law that says the owner can only use them in enclosed and sound-proof areas.
It’s like buying a car. There is no law that says you have to have a garage or a carport at the very least in order to own a car. And the result is something we see day in and day out—vehicles parked on the streets because their owners don’t see any reason why they should spend on a garage or a carport. Why should they spend more when they already paid so much for their vehicles? There is no law anyway that says they can’t park on the streets. And when their vehicles need repairs, the repairs are done right there on the streets, too. The streets are not only carports, they are the personal auto shops of vehicle owners as well.
And it’s the same as getting a license to operate a business. Take automotive-cum-auto supplies shops, for instance. How many of them repair their customers’ vehicles or install gadgets and accessories right on the street? Just look at Banawe Street in Quezon City. There are restaurants too that operate in locations with insufficient parking facilities for customers and the diners end up parking on the streets.
If we look at the karaoke noise issue hard enough, it is simply one of the many things that illustrate lack of foresight on the part of the government—national and local. Just as it is an illustration of how Filipinos can be so uncaring about their communities. For as long as the singing aficionado can sing to his heart’s content, for as long as the yuppie can drive his shiny car, for as long as the business owner can conduct his business, never mind the public. The public is not their concern. And while that lack of concern is a void that should be filled in by the government, the public suffers while the government learns about genuine governance.
You are so very right about everything you pointed out here, Connie.
I am not a huge fan of karaoke singing either, though I love music, and sometimes I do get the the urge to hum or belt out a favorite tune. However I never dare karaoke singing in parties or programs, or even at home, because I am not a singer! And what’s funny is – in gatherings where everyone’s so eager to have a hold of the mic to sing… when I decline to have my turn, the people look at me like I’m an alien, a KJ or something. hehehe.
Di bale nang KJ, wag lang asshole hehehe
yong pinsan ko sa Concord, Ca talagang love niya ang karaoke at very good neighbor, nagpagawa siya ng closed gazebo at doon siya kumakanta at nagrerecording. when we moved to Cavite, merong isang sekta na buong magdamag ang kanilang prayer rally, wala kaming tulog, now I have to ask my relatives if this un-neighborly event is still being practiced.
Re “closed gazebo” Now, that’s a responsible karaoke lover. Eh, our neighbor, hayun ngumangawngaw ng “Fernando” as I type this comment.
Re prayer rallies, nakow, don’t get me started on that LOL
and my cousin’s husband who also love Karaoke to death, plans to build a sound proof home when he retires in the Philippines
Can’t the HOA do something about it, maybe there should be a meeting and suggestions that will keep the noise to a minimum be practiced within the neighborhood
hindi lang music lovers ang mga Pinoy, very tolerant pa tayo, sa mga inconsiderate na kapitbahay, not only the noise, pati sa dumi nila, like yong mga nagpapadumi ng mga aso nila tapos wala naman silang dalang plastic para damputin yon poops ng aso nila.
o ff topic:my daughter who is about to give birth was researching about “bigkis” and came across to your old wive’s tale entry, I’ve asked her to send me the link but forgot and when she called again she said its house on a hill, i havent read the entry but she was having a good laugh reading the comments, its very hard to make her laugh during the pregnancy, she is very picky about the topics
lcm, re #6: there are some dog owners who just let their dogs loose around the neighborhood — stealing food from other houses and pooping in others’ gardens. It’s a headache.
Re #7: The title of the entry is Causes of the common cold and other old wives’ tales. Enjoy! LOL
just wondering, how come the Home Owners Association in subdivisions don’t come up with a guideline to preserve cleanliness and noise reduction in the neighborhood.. when I went home to Cavite, doon sa subdivision, they have those rubber waste barrels and signs that say “Aso mo, itali mo”, I am sure this little sign in every corner have promoted good neighbor relationships. as per Robert Frost fences make good neighbors,
Naku, I don’t know. If they can make rules about the use of the swimming pool, no reason why they can’t make rules about noise. The dogs… believe it or not, raids on stray dogs are conducted now and then but some dog owners are too hard headed.
As a Dutch man i came living in the Philippines in San Juan, La Union. We live in a residential area but our neighbours do have a beachfront resort. In the beginning all was ok. Whenever there was a complaint they solved it instantly. Untill the father stopped and the son took over. Bar(2nd floor) and videoke (1st floor) became more noisy then ever and whenever we called the answer was “you knew from the start that you went living next to a beachresort”. True, but at the start matters were taken care of in a satisfying way. The people working there now don’t mind the neighbours at all. Mind you, the fence in between their and our place is about 5.5 ft and partly open. People are allowed to swim in the middle of the night, making lots of noise. And don’t we dare complain about it! Then they have this app.bldng. with an open roof (of course there is a metal roof but the place is really open) where they have groups, using soundsystems and microphones. Our friends 400 meters away can hear everything. The barangay captain nor the mayor took all these things serious. Untill we had a petition letter with 18 people signing. Now the ordinance is that videoke is not allowed if the neighbours don’t want it. Worked perfectly (als the bar had to close) untill 4 weeks ago they started renting videoke eq. and placed it in a hut outside. 2 weeks ago some people started belting it out at 6.30 AM. On a sunday no less. We then went to the license office to ask for a copy of the permit. The same day people from the office went to the beach resort. What they had to discuss, we’ll never know. What I do know is that I can call now when the guests have their soundsystem on very loud or making noise after 10 PM the employees act instantly. It took us about 3 years to come this far. We were always polite and friendly but Mr. Niceguy just died. Where we said we don’t want the resort to quit we now want them out. They have been ignoring us for the longest time, and now it’s our turn.
What puzzles me is that all authorities here understand our complaints and yet didn’t do anything to tell those people “enough is enough. You are violating the ordinances over and over. We’re sick and tired of it”. The simply let them get away with it. In a residential area no less!
I really think the time has come that the government in Manilla should come up with good laws that can’t be mistaken. I know of videokebars that are soundproof. You can pass them by without even noticing that there’s a videoke. That should be settled by law.