I Did It My Way: Mayor Moreno bans daytime karaoke in Manila after parents complain

Manila’s karaoke addicts, give up your microphones because Mayor Isko Moreno announced today that daytime karaoke is banned in your city.

That’s right: Moreno is prohibiting the morning use of karaoke, videoke, and other “sound-producing devices” that “disturb” the community, according to a statement he posted online.

Read: Karaoke singing beyond curfew hours banned in Cavite

According to Ordinance No. 8688, the use of all these devices will be prohibited from 7am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday. Violators will be made to pay a fine of PHP1,000 (US$21), PHP2,000 (US$41), and PHP3,000 (US$62) for the first, second, third, and succeeding violations, respectively.

“This was done after we have received numerous complaints from parents of students who are now studying online under blended distance learning,” the mayor said in English and Filipino. “We are authorizing all village officials and the police to implement this ordinance.”

The Manila ban comes almost a month after the Cavite provincial government prohibited the use of karaoke and videoke beyond curfew hours. Governor Jonvic Remulla said that residents are supposedly having a hard time sleeping at night, no thanks to all the noise being made by karaoke aficionados.

Karaoke singing is a favorite pastime in the Philippines. Pinoys are so passionate about it that sometimes, people even fight over who gets to sing first. There have also been several deaths caused by conflicts induced by the song “My Way.” In one case, a man was stabbed to death in 2018 when he stopped his neighbor from singing the Frank Sinatra classic.