... 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
(~ff1fl: llf Ille ,~f\frbr~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 1559 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
There is no law which prescribes a uniform system for determining noise impact at 
airports taking into account the characteristics of an area, including its proximity to an airport 
and its non-aircraft background noise. This is important to protect the public against significant 
disturbances in human activities such as sleep and rest. 
This bill prescribes aviation noise limits; provides for its management and reduction, 
especially in surrounding areas; and provides for a staged plan which involves zoning, land use 
planning, and relocation: 
• This bill was originally filed' during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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PROVIDING FOR AVIATION NOISE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION IN 
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RESIDENTIAL AREAS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Aviation Noise Limit Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of State Policy. - The State shall protect public health by 
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determining noise impact on residential areas near airports and by establishing programs for the 
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management of noise levels. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the term: 
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(A) 
"Airspace traffic change" means a change in aircraft flight paths, operating 
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procedures, nature of aircraft traffic, and quantity of aircraft traffic which is applicable in nonnal 
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circumstances. 
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(B) 
"Average sound level" means the level, in decibels of the mean-square; a 
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weighted sound pressure during a specified period with reference to the square of the standard· 
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reference sound pressure of twenty (20) micropascals. 
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(C) 
"Background sound level" means the level, in decibels, measured at a rate 
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representative of a relatively quiet residential location within an area, with aircraft noise 
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contributions excluded. 
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(D) 
"Day-night sound level" means the twenty-four (24)-hour average sound level, in 
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decibels, for the period from midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of ten (10) 
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decibels to sound levels during nighttime hours. 


(E) 
"Nighttime hours" means periods between midnight and 7 :00 am and between 
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10:00 p.m. and midnight local time. 
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(F) 
"Normal circumstances" means all circumstances other than unusually adverse 
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weather and emergency circumstances. 
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(G) 
"Single event maximum sound level" means the level, in decibels, of the 
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maximum A-weighted sound pressure during an aircraft overflight obtained using a standard 
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sound level meter under a slow response setting. 
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(H) 
"Vicinity of an airport" means the geographic area surrounding an airport 
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established before the effectivity of this Act described nominally as follows: 
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(I) The area extending in all directions within a distance of two (2) kilometers 
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from each runway established before such date of effectivity; and 
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(2) The rectangular area defined by drawing a straight center line within a 
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distance of one (1) kilometer from the end of each runway established before 
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such date of the effectivity ,in the direction of heaviest traffic and extending 
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two (2) kilometers perpendicular from the center line on each side of such 
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runway. 
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SECTION 4. Aviation Noise Limits. - The Air Transportation Office' of the Department 
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of Transportation and Communication shall develop a medium-teml plan to reduce by at least 
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seventy five percent (75%) the number of individuals residing in residential areas in the vicinity 
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of an airport who are exposed to a yearly day-night average sound level of sixty (60) decibels or 
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above. In developing such plan, the Air Transportation Office shall consider various methods for 
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aviation noise reduction including soundproofing, relocation incentives, use of quieter aircraft 
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operations restrictions and revision of air routes. 
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As part of the plan to be developed pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the Air 
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Transportation Office shall make recommendations on actions and policy changes on the part of 
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departments and agencies of the govemment which could assist in meeting the objective 
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described in paragraph 1 .of this section. 
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, , 
SECTION 5. Management and Reduction of Aviation Noise in Other Areas. - Beginning 
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on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Air Transportation Office may make an airspace 
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traffic change only if the change will not result in an increase in aviation noise in violation of the 
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next succeeding section. 
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SECTION 6. Requirements. - A violation of the following requirements, which apply 
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only to residential areas that are not in the vicinity of an airport, shall be considered a violation 
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of this section. 
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(A) 
Hourly Average Sound Level. - The hourly average sound level, with combined 
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aviation and non-aviation sources, over anyone (I)-hour period may not exceed six (6) decibels 
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above the background sound level for such one (I )-hour period. 
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(B) 
Single Event Maximum Sound Level. - Under normal circumstances, the single 
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event maximum sound level -
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(I) May not exceed seventy (70) decibels; 
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(2) During nighttime hours, may not exceed fifty five (55) decibels; and 
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(3) May not be more than twenty (20) decibels above the background sound level 
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for the one (I)-hour period in which the event occurs. 
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The requirement of this paragraph shall be considered to have been met if there are no 
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more than three (3) violations of the limits contained in this subparagraph in a twenty-four (24) 
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period. 
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(C) 
Day-Night Average Sound Level. - If the day-night average sound level, with 
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combined aviation and non-aviation sources, exceeds forty five (45) decibels, then aviation 
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activity may not contribute more than three (3) decibels to such sound level. 
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SECTION 7. Determination of Vicinity of Airport. - If the location of the airport is 
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substantially different from the geographic area as defined by this Act, an ai1;port operator, may 
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on or before the 180th day following the effectivity of this Act, transmit to the Air Transportation 
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Office for approval alternative boundaries of the vicinity of the airport which conform to the 
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ground noise distribution of the airport; except tlmt the geographic area enclosed by such 
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.. ' 
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alternative boundaries may not include an area with a day-night average sound level of less than 
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sixty (60) decibels for the one (1) year period ending on the date of the effectivity of this Act. 
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In the event that an airspace traffic change or other action makes it unfeasible or 
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impracticable to meet the sound level limits prescribed by this Act within a residential area, then 
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such area may be added to the area considered to be in the vicinity of the airport upon acquisition 
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of the property or by acquisition of easements of the property by the airport operator. 
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Not later than one (1) year after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the Air 
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Transportation Office through the Department of Transportation and Communication shall 
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transmit to Congress a report containing the plan to be developed and a description of actions 
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taken with respect to airspace changes together with recommendations for appropriate 
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administrative and legislative actions. 
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SECTION 8. Responsibility o/the Secretary o/Transportation and Communications. - In 
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complying with this Act, the Secretary· of. Transportation and Communication shall assume 
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responsibility for all non-military aviation activity, within and outside controlled airspace and 
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shall regulate such activity to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Act. 
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SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the reminder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
,- r 
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SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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