NU12 #4: What pisses you off at the neighbourhood? What do you suggest?

From: Ed Vargas
Date: Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 1:55 PM
Subject: NU12 #4: What pisses you off at the neighbourhood? What do you suggest?

NU12 #4: What pisses you off at the neighborhood? What do you suggest?

By Ed Vargas

We live in a middle class subdivision in Cainta, Rizal near the famous Valley Golf and Country Club. For almost 13 years, we live in peace and quiet until this year when a neighbor just across the street started celebrating his birthday with a party complete with drinking and videoke singing to the wee hours of the morning. It would have been alright and excusable if this was an annual or onetime event at the very least. But the partying and drinking session became regular almost weekly and done every Saturday and Sundays. The sessions would last from 3 PM to 3 AM the following morning and the noise from people talking, laughing, clapping and singing at the top of their lungs amplified by the videoke microphone made people hardly sleep. I thought these people were having a grand time without regards to their neighbors who were trying to get a good night sleep to rise early for work.  The first three sessions I was able to bear and kept my patience but the fourth week became unbearable and I got so pissed that I got up from bed and wanted to shoot people. I was prevailed upon by my wife and when I came to my senses, I realized that I'm better than these people  and won't stoop down to their level.  We called the subdivision guards instead to complain and to tell the neighbor to at least tone down their noise as people in the neighborhood were trying to sleep.  The guards were instead jeered upon and I thought, what do you expect from people who are drunk? The following day, my wife talked to the neighbor and on a very civilized manner raised our concern for after all we are neighbors. The partying stopped for about a month and we thought our neighbor got our point. But lo and behold the drinking and videoke singing resumed regularly and this time louder and rowdier. The roving guards were not respected and laughed at every time they will pass by to call their attention. 

I was really pissed but tried to be civil since in the end I will be the loser if gave in and continued to feed my anger.  Instead, I drafted a complaint petition against the erring neighbor and have it signed by the entire neighborhood. We were not surprised to learn that all of our neighbors were just as pissed off and we're not the only household calling the guards to complain. They readily signed the petition to stop the rude behavior of our neighbor. We filed the complaint petition to the homeowners association (HOA) and the President seeing the number of petitioners immediately went to the house of the erring neighbor. The HOA officers show them the complaint petition were we demanded a stop to the weekly drinking and videoke session or else we will file a complaint to the barangay and sue them in court for alarm and scandal or disturbing the peace.  The erring neighbor was probably so embarrassed seeing that all his neighbors were complaining against him and apologized to the HOA officers. The drinking and videoke session did not stop though but became occasional. It was over by 10 pm and done inside their house to keep the noise. We just hope that they will not return to their old way to test our patience again.

We strive to live in a neighborhood where we expect peace, quiet and security; be it in gated subdivision or condominiums. For most of us middle class, moving from one place to another when conditions no longer exist as expected is not an easy alternative.  I know that in these communities there are supposed to be rules and regulations but sadly there are people who think that in the privacy of their homes or within the perimeter of their property that they can do whatever they pleased. I suggest that a law or at the very least a local ordinance be passed, regulating or banning against activities inside the premises of anybody against disturbing the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.

The holding of parties should be regulated subject to the following:

1.  .       A permit must be secured from the barangay or homeowners association indicating the time and reason for the occasion. Celebrations during Christmas, New Year's Day and Fiestas of the village or barangay are exempted from this ordinance.
2.        The party should not go beyond 11 pm. In case the party extends beyond 11 pm and complaints from neighborhood are received by the barangay or HOAs, the barangay tanods or police may order to stop the party and if necessary request and authorize the electric utility to cut-off the power. 
3.       Violation of the ordinance subject to penalty of P 50,000 for the first offense, P 100,000 for the 2^nd offense and P 150,000 for the third offense including declaration of the household head as persona non grata to be posted on the village or barangay bulletin board.
4.        Proceeds from the violations of the ordinance will go to the social funds of the barangay or HOAs.  3

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Prof Jorge Saguinsin

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