Noise: Sick of sound? AMBASSADORS’ CORNER

First of 2 parts

ERTAINLY, the streets of Metro Manila, in their entirety, is no place to go for peace and quiet. A noise expert has pointed out that the quietest place in the metropolis is a recording studio where

down to 15 decibels (degree of loudness). It could be that quiet at night in an area outside the center of a barangay in an island province if there are no insects around.

What’s wrong with noise?

Noise is unwanted man-made sound that penetrates the environment. It is any sound irritating to one’s ear which comes from an external source. Noise pollution, on the other hand, is environmental pollution consisting of annoying or harmful noise.

According to the World Health Organization, “The recognition of noise as a serious health hazard as opposed to a nuisance is a recent development and the health effects of the hazardous noise exposure are now considered to be an increasingly important public health problem.”

Aside from impaired hearing, noise can cause cardiovascular and psycho-physiological effects, disturb sleep, interfere with communication, reduce performance (e.g. attentiveness, problem solving, memory), provoke annoyance and changes in social behavior.

Sources of noise pollution include, but is not limited to, roadway motor vehicles, aircrafts, factories, airconditioners, machines, public address systems, karaoke concerts, videoke bars, sing-along clubs, loud parties, neighbors, industrial development and construction works.

Noise in PH laws

A close look at the corpus of Philippine environmental legislation reveals that what constitutes noise appears to be universal though coached in different ways. The Sanitation Code, or PD

as a nuisance, meaning anything that injures health, endangers life, offends the senses or produces discomfort to the community while the Environment Code, PD 1152

Early on, the Civil Code, RA 386 (1950 as amended) says unwanted

- tion of a nuisance, as it injures, annoys, endangers, or offends the senses. There is also the law on unjust vexation in the Revised Penal Code, RA 3815 (as amended) which, as further interpreted by the Supreme Court, is any human conduct which, although not productive of some physical or material harm, would unjustly annoy or irritate an innocent person. The paramount question is whether the offender’s act causes annoyance, irritation, torment, distress or disturbance to the mind of the person to whom it is directed.

Noise-related legal actions

Actually, two kinds of noise stand out in this jurisdiction — industrial noise pollution and non- industrial noise pollution.

Industrial noise is that unwanted sound emitted by machines and equipment found in a workplace such as generators and engines. Non-industrial noise, on the other hand, is community noise, also known as domestic noise. It ranges from sources such as aircondition-

appliances and neighbors.

Of the two, industrial noise pollution is prominently actionable because it is related to occupation or the workplace. In fact, there is a Bureau of Working Conditions and an Institute of Occupational Health and Safety under DoLE with the function of “undertaking continuing studies and research on occupational health and safety of employees in their working environment. Labor regulations spell

the length of time a worker may be exposed to noise of different decibel levels. The limits are based solely on the threat to hearing not on any other health effects of noise.

The noise produced by public or private infrastructure constructions is governed by the Environmental Com-