Noise Pollution Where I Live in the Philippines
Written on Jul 27, 2026
Noise pollution is always an issue in places where it's impossible to prevent it. The number one cause of the noise in my neighborhood in Olongapo used to be the children playing, in ages up to adulthood.
Not all the time, of course. It was mostly in the evening hours, after school, and when the days started cooling down. It was unpleasant when they were on their "summer" breaks because they were out there longer than when school was in session.
Noise Pollution Problems
It doesn't matter where you go, and it doesn't matter what country you're in. The noise level will continue to increase in any given area until someone does something about it. When my wife, Josie, and I had our house built, there was very little noise.
Twenty years have passed, and you wouldn't believe we still live in the same neighborhood if you could compare the amount of noise back then and the amount of noise today. There's a large amount of construction going on during the day, and unfortunately, it's all within earshot.
After the daytime noise, I have to contend with what the neighbors produce at night. It really doesn't matter if it's intentional or not. My neighbors all think they own a gaming reserve and have several roosters in every yard. I've learned to tune them out, or I would never get any sleep.
The roosters crow at all hours of the night. I even tune out the barking dogs (mostly stray dogs in the street) unless they're having a barking contest right in front of my house.
The things that wake me up at all hours of the night are the motorcycles and the motorized tricycles. You would think everyone in the neighborhood were vampires or something because they never seem to be sleeping at night.
Noise Pollution Solutions
It's unfortunate that the simplest solutions are usually the most expensive. I can't do what I'd like to do without spending time and money. The return on my investment probably wouldn't be as much as I'd like anyway.
Sound proofing my windows would be the best answer, but I would have to tear out the windows and start over. The best windows would be dual-pane or even triple-pane, but I would have to make my own.
The best solution I've found, so far, is canceling out most of the noise. I play music on my computer while I'm working on something. The noise really doesn't bother me if I'm watching a movie or some television episode. I just ensure my sound is louder than the sound coming from outside.
There are expats who disagree with my solution. Outside of calling the barangay police station every time someone makes too much noise, there really isn't anything anyone can do. I've learned that most people, regardless of where I am, have no respect for the people they bother.
Dealing With All the Noise
As I just mentioned, I have most of the noise solved, including the children running up and down the street in front of my house screaming at each other. One thing I can't do anything about is the karaoke noise when neighbors celebrate their birthdays.
I can't figure out why they want the entire neighborhood to hear their feeble attempts at being the next YouTube star (or something). When they get drunk, they all sound alike anyway.
I try to respect my neighbors. When we have parties, which include karaoke, we keep the volume level lower than anyone else, and we quit earlier than they ever will. When they get started, I just have to bear it until they quit, and sometimes that's as late as three in the morning.
It's a good thing I'm retired, and I don't have to go to work every morning, or I'd have a lot of enemies.
Image by Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons