Lola Is Tired of Loud, Speeding Motorcycles

Excessively loud and dangerously speeding motorcycles are a nuisance throughout the Philippines. One old lady decided she has had enough. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/17/septuagenarian-in-ilocos-norte-apologizes-for-throwing-stick-at-rider

A septuagenarian who went viral on social media for throwing wood on the driver of a fast-moving and noisy motorcycle in front of her house in Barangay Bulala here on Wednesday morning, March 6, has apologized to the public for her actions.

Renie Leaño, 74, a former teacher and an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), drew public attention after a surveillance footage posted on social media showed her throwing a piece of wood to a fast-moving motorcycle in front of her house.

The motorcycle rider, approximately in his mid to late 40s, returned and confronted Leaño who returned to her house but he followed her and bumped her, causing her to fall down.

The motorcycle rider sped off and Leaño slowly stood up and cursed at him in the native dialect Ilocano.

Surveillance footage later showed Leaño talking to another man, apparently complaining about the noise generated by passing motorcycles.

She later on was enraged by more passing motorcycles, and one rider whom she had said something stopped to confront her.

The man picked a stone which he threw at Leaño who avoided the projectile that landed in her house. Leaño was peeved and heard cursing while the man moved away.  

 

Some neighbors stepped in to diffuse the situation but Leaño continued to rant as more neighbors appeared. Moments later, she went inside her house.

She went out again and seemed to have not yet calmed down.    

People have lodged a complaint with barangay officials over Leaño’s actions.

Leaño said her actions were a reminder to speeding motorists to slow down when passing in front of her house as their noisy driving disturbed her and that it was not her intention to hurt them.

She said that she had been bringing up the matter to barangay officials since 2016 or a year upon returning to the country in 2015. 

Leaño said that she requested barangay officials to construct a hump on the road or put up a sign reminding motorists to slow down in front of her house. These, she said, were also for the safety of motorists.

She said that barangay officials have done nothing on her requests, prompting her to act on her own to address her concerns.

Leaño vowed to stop throwing firewood at passing motorists.

Barangay officials are consulting with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for appropriate solution to Leaño’s concerns. 

For eight years this lady has been bringing her concerns about loud and speeding motorcycles to the barangay. But they have done nothing. 

So, she took the matter into her own hands by throwing a piece of wood at and confronting loud speeding riders. Now, she is the one apologizing. Strangely, her own the neighbors have turned against her by filing complaints over her actions. It seems they are not concerned about loud speeding motorcyclists in their neighborhood.  

But others in this nation are concerned. In 2016 Senator Win Gatchalian introduced a bill penalizing drivers who use modified mufflers which increase noise. This bill was not passed into law and it was reintroduced in 2022. 

http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/3913835576!.pdf

With the worsening traffic in Metro Manila , the concomitant noise emitted by motor vehicles just adds to the ordeal that our citizens has to go through every day. The steady increase of our population continues to trigger the environmental hazards of pollution, sad to say that the plague of "noise pollution" has never had any definite national policy nor regulation for control. Lumped in the general concept of air pollution, the dangers of noise pollution have been ignored or underestimated.

A World Health Organization (WHO) report has suggested that noise defined as an "unwanted sound" can affect human health and well-being, including annoyance reaction, sleep disturbance. Interference with communication, performance effects, and effects on social behavior. It further states that exposure to noise levels at or above 80 decibels has been medically proven to cause permanent hearing loss. This exposure to noise has also been associated with changes in blood pressure, other cardiovascular changes, problems with the digestive system and general fatigue.

While this bill is not law the City of Manila did enact a noise ordinance regarding mufflers in 2021.

https://manila.gov.ph/look-yorme-signed-into-law-ordinance-no-8772-regulating-the-use-of-modified-muffler-exhaust-pipe-and-similar-devices-on-all-types-of-motor-vehicles/

The point is, Renie Leaño's neighbors not withstanding, people do not like noise. The problem is that it is not so easy to file a complaint and when one is filed it takes a miracle for it to be acted upon. Renie has been complaining to the barangay for eight year to no avail until she took matters into her own hands. Now local officials are working with the DILG to address her concerns. 

So, good on her for drawing attention to this issue. Sometimes that is what it takes.