TKRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILPPWES 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriain Defensor Santiago 
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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 
nits, provides for its management and reduction 
specially in surrounding areas, and provides for a staged plan which involves zoning, land use 
planning and relocation. 


T"IRTEENT1-I CONGRESS OF THE, REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular3ession 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
AREAS 
PROVIDING FOR AVLATION NOISE 
Be it enacted by the Sennte and the House 
assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Aviation Noise Limit Act." 
SECTION 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. 
SECTION 3. Definitions. -For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply: 
(1) Airspace traffic change - a change in aircraft flight paths, operating procedures, nature 
of aircraft traffic, aid 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 duriiig a specifiei period with reference to the square of the standard reference sound 
pressure of 20 micropascats. 
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(3) Background sound level - the Ievel, in decibels, measured at a rate representative of a 
relatively quiet residential location within an area (with aircraft noise contributions excluded). 
(4) Day-night sound level - 24-hour average sound level, in decibels, for the 
midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of 10 decibels to sound levels 
hours. 
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(5) Nighttime hours - periods between midnight and 7:OO am and between 1O:OO 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 overflight obtained using a standard sound level meter under a 
slow response setting. 
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(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 within a distance of 1.5 miles from each 
(b) The rectangular area defined by drawing a straight center line with 
of one (1) mile from the end of each runway established before such.date of the 
the direction of heaviest traffic and extending 1.5 miles perpendicular from 
runway established before such date of effectivity. 
on each side of such runway. 
SECTION 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 Transportatioii 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 0 ffice shall make recommendations on actions and policy changes on the part of 
departments sad. agencies-of-the government which couId assist in meeting the objective described 
in paragraph 1 of this section. 
SECTION 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. 
SECTION 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. 
(1) 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. 
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(2) Single Event Maximum Sound Level - Under normal circumstances, the single event 
maximum sound level - 
(c) may not be more than twenty (20) decibels above the background so ' '  d level for 
(a) may not exceed seventy (70) decibels 
(b) during nighttime hours, may not exceed fifty five (55) decibels; and 1 
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. 
(3) 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. 
SECTION 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 m-qnot incl& .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 o f  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. 
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SECTION 8. Responsibility of the Secvetary of Transportation and Communications. - In 
complying with this Act, the S ecretary o f  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, 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof, is he1 
unconstitutional, the reminder of the iaw of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
and subsisting. 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, nile or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent with, 
the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
1662 JPS