Nothing can come between Filipinos and karaoke. Except, maybe, this proposed bill.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Order and Safety reviewed a bill that seeks to limit karaoke hours.
House Bill No. 1035, proposed by Quezon province Rep. Angelina Tan, only allows karaoke sessions to take place from 8am – 10pm. Right now, many Filipinos all over the country sing their lungs out up to the wee hours of the morning.
Singing karaoke is a lot of Filipinos’ favorite pastime, but it’s not always music to people’s ears, especially in congested city neighborhoods where houses are close to each other.
“It shall be unlawful for any person or business establishment to cause unnecessary disturbance to the public,” the bill states.
Those who go beyond the specified time could be fined PHP1,000 (US$19.21), sentenced to up to six months imprisonment, or both. Businesses could also lose their license to operate.
Apart from karaoke machines, radios, CD players, TVs, and other equipment that use amplifiers will also be prohibited after the specified time.
This bill is aligned with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 suggestion for local officials to implement a ban on late-night karaoke, just as he did as mayor of Davao City.
Filipinos take karaoke so seriously, some sing-along sessions can get pretty heated. In November, a man in Navotas City killed his friend after the two fought over a karaoke song. Just last month, a man stabbed and killed his friend inside a karaoke bar.
