Small town bans gossip and fines rule breakers
A small town has outlawed pointless public chinwagging in a bid to cut back on time wasting and boost the quality of life of residents.
The neighbourhood of Binalonan, about three hours from the Filipino capital of Manila, has enforced strict penalties for anyone caught street-side gossiping, ABC 6 News reports.
Town mayor Ramon Guico said rumours were spread most often in the summer when people chatted under trees and discussed the affairs and finances of others.
People who broke the bizarre new law would be fined about $14, or could be sentenced to the humiliating task of picking up rubbish for an afternoon.
Mr Guico said gossiping was a "waste of time”, saying “you’d think people would have something better to do”, The Sun reported.
Local council leader Jovelyn Manaois was responsible for looking into gossiping offenders, with her telling The Sun council was yet to punish anyone a second time.
“No one wants to be seen as a gossipmonger,” she said.
Karaoke was also banned past 10pm in another bold move by the 44-year-old mayor.
The anti-gossip ordinance was introduced a month before local government elections, in which several of Binalonan’s leaders would run for office.
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