Legal basis and cited statutes
- Republic Act No. 4136 (Land Transportation and Traffic Code) provides that no horn or signaling device emitting exceptionally loud, startling or disagreeable sound shall be installed on any motor vehicle.
- Republic Act No. 7924 empowers the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to fix, impose and collect fines and penalties for traffic-rule violations (moving or non-moving), and to confiscate and suspend or revoke driver's licenses in enforcement, notwithstanding RA 4136 and PD 1605 to the contrary.
- The regulation states it is adopted pursuant to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7924 and focuses on banning installation of prohibited loud-noise devices on vehicles traversing Metro Manila thoroughfares.
- The regulation expressly states it is intended to support existing local ordinances and will not repeal, amend, nor modify any existing similar local ordinance in Metro Manila (Section 8).
Definitions of key terms
- “Horns of Varying Sounds” means horns that produce impulsive sound with different tones that vary in sound pressure level.
- “Motor Vehicles” means both private and public vehicles, including buses, jeepneys, taxis, FXs, tricycles, motorcycles, and the like.
- “Noise” means any sound level in excess of the sound level produced by ordinary horns, startling and disagreeable sound; it is also defined as unwanted sound.
- “Ordinary Horn” means any horn that does not produce loud, disturbing and disagreeable sound/noise, allowed by the Land Transportation Office under LTO Department Order No. 1, Series of 1973.
- “Outright Destruction” means on-the-spot destruction of the device without removing it from where it is mounted.
- “Power/Loud Horn” means a horn that emits exceptionally loud, disturbing and disagreeable sound.
- “Similar Devices” means any device intended to produce or which actually produces noise or startling when operated or handled.
- “Siren (Wangwang)” means a kind of whistle producing loud piercing sound, usually installed on firetrucks, ambulances, and law enforcement vehicles.
- “Sound” means the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium, and also the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause.
- “Sound level” means the level of sound allowed on certain types of vehicles expressed in decibel/s (typically dB on the C-scale or dBA on the A-scale), also referred to as sound pressure level.
Scope and where the ban applies
- The regulation applies to all motor vehicles traversing along the thoroughfares of Metro Manila (Section 2).
- Provincial buses are allowed to use power horns for provincial highway use, but they are not allowed to use power horns within Metro Manila (Section 2).
- The prohibition on installation covers all types of vehicles traversing Metro Manila thoroughfares (Section 3).
Prohibited acts and allowable sirens
- Installing loud/power horns of varying sounds, sirens (wangwang), and other similar devices on all types of vehicles traversing Metro Manila thoroughfares is unlawful (Section 3).
- Siren (wangwang) use is allowed in motor vehicles that are designated for official use through appropriate markings.
- Allowed official users for sirens (wangwang) include the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, National Bureau of Investigation, Land Transportation Office, and hospital ambulances (Section 4).
Sound-level limits and minimization rules
- Horn blowing must not exceed specified sound levels measured at a distance of 15.2 meters (50 feet) from the center of the road (Section 5).
- For motorbikes/tricycles/scooters, horn blowing must not exceed 80 dBA (Section 5).
- For cars, jeeps, vans, FX, taxis, and other light vehicles, horn blowing must not exceed 85 dBA (Section 5).
- For buses, cargo trucks/delivery trucks/trailer trucks and other heavy vehicles, horn blowing must not exceed 91 dBA (Section 5).
- Horn blowing must be minimized in areas near hospitals, educational institutions, and courts (Section 6).
Enforcement penalty for prohibited devices
- The penalty is outright destruction of the prohibited device at the place of apprehension (Section 7).
- Outright destruction is imperative because removing the device in roadways is difficult, may cause traffic build-up, and poses danger to commuters/public (Section 7).
Repeal, effectivity, and transitory operation
- The regulation expressly states it will not in any manner repeal, amend, nor modify any existing similar local ordinance in Metro Manila (Section 8).
- The regulation takes effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in Metro Manila (Section 9).