FIFTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

House Bill No__1649

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 the surrounding residential areas, and provides for a
staged plan which involves zoning, land use planning and relocation.

Thus, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

RUBUS B. IGUEZ

ME

MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
FIRST REGULAR SESSION )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

House Bill No. 1649

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR AVIATION NOISE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION IN
RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Aviation Noise
Limit Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - The State shall protect public health by
determining noise impact at residential areas near airports and by establishing
programs for the management of noise levels. The State shall also ensure the
constitutionally protected right of quiet enjoyment of private property.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act, the following
definitions shall apply:

(1) Airspace traffic change - a change in aircraft flight paths, operating
procedures, nature of aircraft, and quantity of aircraft traffic which is
applicable in normal circumstances.

(2) Average sound level - the level in decibels of the mean square, A
weighted sound pressure during a specified period, with reference to the
square of the standard reference sound pressure of 20 micropascals.

(3) Background sound level - hourly average sound level in decibels,
measured at a site representative of a relatively quiet residential location
within an area (with aircraft noise contributions excluded)


(4) Day-night average sound level - hour average sound level in decibels, for
the period from midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of 10
decibels to sound levels during nighttime hours.

(5) Nighttime hours - periods between midnight and 7:00 a.m. and between
10:00 p.m. and midnight local time.

(6) Normal circumstances - all circumstances other than unusually adverse
weather and emergency circumstances.

(7) Single event maximum sound level - the level in decibels, of the maximum
A-weighted sound pressure during an aircraft over flight obtained using a
standard sound level meter under a slow response setting

(8) Vicinity of an airport - the geographic area surrounding an airport
established before the effectivity of this Act described nominally as

follows:
(a) The area extending in all directions a distance of 1.5 miles
from each runway established before such date of effectivity.
(b) The rectangular area defined by drawing a straight center

line a distance of 4 miles from the end of each runway
established before such date of the effectivity in the direction
of heaviest traffic and extending 1.5 miles perpendicular
from the center line on each side of such runway.

SEC. 4. Aviation Noise Limits. - The Air Transportation Office of the
Department of Transportation and Communications shall develop a medium-term
plan to reduce by at least seventy-five percent (75%) the number of individuals
residing in residential areas in the vicinity of an airport who are exposed to a
yearly day-night average sound level of sixty (60) decibels or above. In
developing such plan, the Air Transportation Office shall consider various
methods for aviation noise reduction, including soundproofing, relocation
incentives, use of quieter aircraft, operations restrictions and revision of air
routes.

As part of the plan to be developed pursuant to the preceding paragraph,
the Air Transportation Office shall make recommendations on actions and policy
changes on the part of departments and agencies of the government which could
assist in meeting the objective described in paragraph 1 of this section.

SEC. 5. Management and Reduction of Aviation Noise in other Areas.
- Beginning on the date of the effectivity of this Act, the Air Transportation Office
may make an airspace traffic change only if the change will not result in an
increase in aviation noise in violation of the next succeeding section.


SEC 6. Requirements. - Non-compliance with any of the following
requirements, which apply only to residential areas that are not in the vicinity of
an airport, shall be considered a violation of this Act:

(a) Hourly Average Sound Level - The hourly average sound level, with
combined aviation and non-aviation sources, over any one (1) hour
period may not exceed six (6) decibels above the background sound level
for such one (1) hour period.

©)

Single Event Maximum Sound Level - Under normal circumstances, the
single event maximum sound level —

(i) May not exceed seventy (70) decibels;
(ii) during nighttime hours, may not exceed fifty-five (55) decibels;
and

(ii) may not be more than twenty (20) decibels above the
background sound level for the one (1) hour period in which the
event occurs.

The requirements of this paragraph shall be considered to have
been met if there are no more than three (3) violations of the limits
contained in this subparagraph in a 24-hour period.

(c)

Day-Night Average Sound Level - If the day-night average sound level,
with combined aviation and non-aviation sources, exceeds forty-five (45)
decibels, then aviation activity may not contribute more than three (3)
decibels to such sound level.

SEC. 7. Determination of Vicinity of Airport. - If the location of the
airport is substantially different from the geographic areas as defined by this Act,
an airport operator, may, on or before the 180" day following the effectivity of this
Act, transmit to the Air Transportation Office for approval, alternative boundaries
of the vicinity of the airport which conform to the ground noise distribution of the
airport; except that the geographic area enclosed by such alternative boundaries
may not include an area with a day-night average sound level of less than sixty

(60) decibels for the one (1) year period ending on the date of the effectivity of
this Act.

In the event that an airspace traffic change or other action makes it unfeasible
or impracticable to meet the sound level limits prescribed by this Act within a
residential area, then such area may be added to the area considered to be in
the vicinity of the airport upon acquisition of the property or by acquisition of
easements of the property by the airport operator.

Not later than one (1) year after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the Air
Transportation Office through the Department of Transportation and


Communications shall transmit to Congress a report containing the plan to be
developed and a description of actions taken with respect to airspace changes
together with recommendations for appropriate administrative and legislative
actions.

SEC. 8. Responsibility of the Secretary of Transportation and
Communications. - In complying with this Act, the Secretary of Department of
Transportation and Communications shall assume responsibility for all non-
military aviation activity, within and outside controlled airspace, and shall regulate
such activity to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Act

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause, - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
following its complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved.