Some Puerto Princesa residents aired their disgust against motorcycles with noisy mufflers in public places and called on government enforcers to impound the motorcycles and impose fines upon the violators.
Even after New Year revelry, some city residents still observed an increasing number of these noisy motorcycles plying in public roads, causing nuisance and inconvenience to the public.
Motorcycles with noisy mufflers violate laws related to noise pollution, vehicle safety/equipment standards, primarily by exceeding legal decibel limits set by Republic Act 4136, Philippine Land Transportation and Traffic Code and other national laws by using modified/defective mufflers (straight pipes, open exhausts), and creating disturbances that annoy the senses or endanger health.
The Civil Code of the Philippines also known as the Republic Act 386, addresses pollution as a nuisance through Articles 694-707, defining it broadly as anything harming health, safety, senses, or property use (like noise, smoke, odor).
Fatima del Valle posted a comment in social media requesting local authorities and enforcers to impound motorcycles, “Dito po sa liberty, pakihuli na po,” she said, referring to their place, in Barangay Bagong Sikat, one of the city’s urban barangay.
But one resident of Barangay San Jose, Karina-Malinao-Villagen said that motorcycles with noisy mufflers pass through Lomboy Street almost every day.
Some locals insisted that New Year revelry does not exempt motorcycles with noisy pipes, warning long-term hearing damage if government enforcers failed to apprehend them.
“Dear motorcycle rider, yung modified open pipe mong tunog lata or hollowed out stock pipe ay noise pollution at perwisyo ang dulot. Hindi yan cool. Hindi yan astig. Ikaw lang nagagandahan ng tunog lata niyan. Kung hindi ka concerned sa long-term hearing damage na dulot nito sa yo, aalahanin mo na lang na mga nasa paligid mo ay hindi deserve makarinig ng ganyan. Sa mga kinauukulan naman, utang na loob, bawal po yan at dapat hinuhuli,” one netizen posted.
Some of those who elevate their complaints were concerned with patients admitted in hospital, and an infant in the comfort of their homes.
“Lagi na lang nagugulat mga patients dito sa kadadaan ng mga motor nila dito. wala na maayos na mga pahinga mgapatient dito,” Briget Abog said, while attending to a patient in Coop Hospital.
“Maawa po kayo sa may anak na maliliit. Yung anak ko takot na takot sa sobrang ingay,” Kash Mae appealed to motorcycle riders.
While motorcycles with noisy mufflers are increasing, city authorities said that they are impounding noisy motorcycles considering that it is a clear violation of existing laws.
During Christmas eve, operatives of the city’s Anti-Crime Task Force impounded one Suzuki raider 150 Fi(black) with open pipe in Barangay San Manuel during a response operation when a barangay tanod noticed an speeding noisy motorcycle. They said that the motorcycle is owned by Stephen aka Mang Kanor.
The motorcycle’s noise reading was 107.0 decibels, which exceeded the standards set by existing laws.
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