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The mayor of Manila, former actor Francisco Domagoso, banned the daytime use of “karaokes, videokes and other sound-producing devices” starting Thursday, following complaints from angry parents homeschooling their children amid the pandemic.
Domagoso said his office had received several calls from parents saying their children were unable to concentrate with the noise.
“I pity our parents and students who are trying to get through online education while being disturbed by the karaoke noise in the background,” Domagoso, more popularly known by his movie name Isko Moreno, told the New York Times.
Sound machines have long been a plague among Manila’s tight communities. The hobby, however, has gained new popularity in recent times, and many have started singing to drive away the boredom of isolation.
Mr. Domagoso said that those caught violating the ordinance would be fined up to 3,000 pesos (about $ 61).
On Thursday, 144 people were reported dead in the Philippines, bringing the country’s death toll to 6,069, one of the highest in the region. More than 2,300 new cases were also reported, with the total number of cases now at 331,869, according to the Department of Health.
Much of the country has remained under lockdown, although the government has gradually begun to open up tourism and other parts of the economy.
