Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
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 
specially in surrounding areas, and provides for a staged plan which involves zoning, 
land use planning and relocation. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
August 3, 2023
12:01 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
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 State Policy. – The State shall protect public health by 
determining noise impact of 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 purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A)
“Airspace traffic change” means a change in aircraft flight paths, operating
procedures, nature of aircraft traffic, and quantity of aircraft traffic which is
applicable in normal circumstances.
(B)
“Average sound level” means 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.
(C)
“Background sound level” means the level, in decibels, measured at a rate
representative of a relatively quiet residential location within an area, with
aircraft noise contributions excluded.
(D)
“Day-night sound level” means the 24-hour average sound level, in decibels,
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for the period from midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of 10 
decibels to sound levels during nighttime hours.  
(E) 
“Nighttime hours” means periods between midnight and 7:00 am and between 
10:00 p.m. and midnight local time.  
(F) 
“Normal circumstances” means all circumstances other than unusually adverse 
weather and emergency circumstances.  
(G) 
“Single event maximum sound level” means the level, in decibels, of the 
maximum A-weighted sound pressure during an aircraft overflight obtained 
using a standard sound level meter under a slow response setting.  
(H) 
“Vicinity of an Airport” means the geographic area surrounding an airport 
established before the effectivity of this Act described nominally as follows: 
(1) 
The area extending in all directions within a distance of 1.5 miles from 
each runway established before such date of effectivity; and 
(2) 
The rectangular area defined by drawing a straight center line within a 
distance of one (1) mile 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 Communication 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 enactment 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. – A violation of the following requirements which apply only to 
residential areas that are not in the vicinity of an airport, shall be considered to be a 
violation of this section. 
(A) 
Hourly Average Sound Level. – The hourly average sound level, with combined 
aviation and non-aviation sources, over any 1-hour period may not exceed six 
(6) decibels above the background sound level for such 1-hour period. 
(B) 
Single Event Maximum Sound Level. – Under normal circumstances, the single 
event maximum sound level -  
(1) 
May not exceed seventy (70) decibels;  
(2) 
During nighttime hours, may not exceed fifty-five (55) decibels; and  
(3) 
May not be more than twenty (20) decibels above the background sound 
level for the 1-hour period in which the event occurs.  
 
The requirement 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 twenty-four (24) 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 area as defined by this Act, an airport 
operator, may on or before the 180th 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 Communication 
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 the Department of Transportation and 
Communication 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 reminder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
 
Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or 
inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
 
Sec. 11. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,