LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Mayor Romeo K. Salda issued an executive order prohibiting loud sounds emanating from private residents and commercial establishments from 10 PM to 5 AM daily.
Salda’s order was an offshoot of numerous complaints and reports from concerned residents on alleged excessive loud singing and playing of audio and visual devices such as videokes, loud speakers, amplifiers, television sets among others in private residents and commercial establishments that tend to disturb the prevailing peace, especially during the late night and wee hours of the morning.
The local chief executive pointed out that because of the inconsiderate neighbors, students cannot focus on their studies, especially at night when they have to review for their lessons the following day or for their review for their examinations among other reasons.
Further, he asserted that residents and visitors are being actually deprived of appropriate rest with the existence of inconsiderate individuals who allegedly disturb the peace, comfort and tranquility of the community.
However, the order stated that during wedding, birthday and other important celebrations of families, audio devices must be kept in acceptable sound levels so as not to disrupt the prevailing peace in the municipality and to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents that will pose a threat to the safety of the people involved.
According to him, failure of private individuals and owners of commercial establishments to comply with the said order will compel the local government to penalize them with a 5-day imprisonment for those who will be caught violating the said issuance.
Salda expressed optimism that the municipal council will pass the appropriate ordinance that will strengthen the aforesaid order so that the penalties and fines that will be imposed against erring residents and owners of commercial establishments will be well defined and stringent to compel people to abide by its province once it will be fully implemented.
He urged residents and owners of commercial establishments to be considerate to their neighbors by ensuring that the playing of their audio and visual devices so as not to be a nuisance in their neighborhood to ensure peace in the community, especially in the late hours of the night and in the wee hours of the morning.
He admitted that the municipal government and the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station had been bombarded with numerous complaints from the public on the nuisance being created by some private residence and owners of commercial establishments who knowingly or unknowingly play their audio and visual devices beyond the normal tuning of the same.
He stated that there is a need for the local government to start correcting whatever malpractices of the people in the municipality so that they will learn to be considerate on the plight of their neighborhood for peace in the community for them to be able to enjoy a good rest in preparation for their heavy work load for the following day.
La Trinidad was able to emerge as an urban center being the capital town of Benguet primarily because of its proximity to Baguio City, one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country.
By Hent
