Cebu Daily News / Visayas

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/visayas/view_article.php?article_id=130957

Bora bars ordered to tone down noise Cebu Daily News Posted date: April 17, 2008 ILOILO CITY — Partying full blast until the wee hours of the morning on Boracay Island has been toned down, starting yesterday, after authorities launched a campaign to crack down on violators of ordinances governing the island. Undersecretary Virtus Gil, group secretary of the Boracay Eminent Person Group, said policemen armed with decibel meters would monitor the sound level of popular bars, discos and other establishments on the island to regulate the intensity of sound systems especially at night. "I met with the owners of bars and discos and we agreed that music should be toned down to a maximum of 60 decibels by midnight," Gil told the Inquirer in a telephone interview. The 60-decibel limit is approximately the sound of a moderately strong handclap, according to Gil. Gil said some guests on the island complained that they could not sleep because of the loud music coming from bars and discos, which were located beside resorts and hotels. Partying in these bars and discos usually lasts until dawn, especially during weekends. He said police would confiscate the sound amplifiers of bars and discos that would exceed the limit after midnight. Gil said he would also propose that bars, discos and establishments playing loud music be required to install noise reduction systems or sound proofing equipment to avoid disturbing other guests. The Boracay Special Tourist Protection Office and Land Transportation Office will also inspect all vehicles, especially motorcycles, on the island to check if they have permits and to check on their headlights, signal lights and driver's license. Emission tests will also be undertaken in the coming days to regulate the emission of vehicles on the island. The growing number of vehicles, especially motorcycles with two-stroke engines, has been blamed for the air and noise pollution on the island. Tests conducted in three stations on the island show noise levels beyond the standard value of 50 decibels (db) for residential areas and 60 db for areas along the road during mornings especially from 8 a.m. to 9 .am., according to data culled from the draft master plan for Boracay prepared in 2007 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources+. /Inquirer