Bacolod Noise Complaint Update: Local Authorities Encourage Dialogue, Vows to Use Case as ‘Future Reference’
The noise complaint lodged by a resident in Lacson Street in Bacolod City hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
Just a few days after the Sangguniang Panlungsod received a pointed letter describing the constant “popping” of paddles and the shouts of players as a nightly nuisance, Bacolod Councillor Al Victor Espino has sprung into action already, noting that he is planning to use said complaint as a baseline in crafting future legislation not only for pickleball and pickleball courts, but also for other sports and recreational facilities across the city.
“Let this be the template for future reference. This will define where the Bacolod SP or the Committee on Laws stands. Once we handle this, it will become a policy for (similar operations in the) future,” said Espino, who chairs Bacolod City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Laws.
Espino Bats for Direct Dialogue
While Espino is looking to use the case as a reference for future legislation, he is hoping the complaint is resolved through direct dialogue between the complainant and the facility being complained of rather than a formal committee hearing.
“I believe in the minimal intervention of government and that the power of government is regulation,” Espino said. “However, we cannot negate the needs of our citizens, whether it is just one person or many. We will look for a solution where there is an amicable settlement among parties.”
To that end, the facility on the receiving end of the complaint, Paddle Co., has expressed willingness for a “constructive dialogue” between them and the complainant, a 70-year-old resident of Lacson Street. In her complaint, the resident noted that “despite previous talks, police blotters and police visitation after 10 p.m., the disturbance continues and it affects the health, sleep, and peace of the residents in the area, especially for me, a senior citizen, and my household.”
“While we understand that the nature of pickleball may generate sounds that could cause inconvenience to nearby residents, we recognise the importance of balancing our operations with the comfort of the surrounding community,” Paddle Co. said in a public statement. “We take these matters seriously and remain open to constructive dialogue with concerned residents and relevant authorities.”
Pickleball, of course, is in the midst of a meteoric rise in the Philippines, and the aforementioned noise complaint is but a by-product of this growth. How it is resolved, in turn, could be a use case on how local authorities could best deal with potential similar complaints in the future.
