EDITORIAL - ‘Filipino time’

Several initiatives have been undertaken in recent years to promote punctuality and dispel perceptions that “Filipino time” is synonymous with tardiness. There has also been at least one recent effort to synchronize timepieces nationwide. The argument is that while there are individuals who are habitually tardy, others inadvertently arrive late for appointments because watches are not synchronized under an official standard time.

With the enactment of Republic Act 10535, the campaign for punctuality may finally get off the ground. RA 10535 requires not only government offices but also private television and radio stations to calibrate and synchronize their time devices with the Philippine Standard Time. The public can then synchronize personal timepieces with the PST, which will be set by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Failure to comply will cost TV and radio stations fines ranging from P30,000 to P50,000. For subsequent offenses, they can lose their franchise.

With one less excuse to be late, it is now up to Filipinos to show that tardiness is not a national trait. For a long time, being “fashionably late” was regarded as a mark of privilege in this country, with VIPs seeing nothing rude or inconsiderate about making other people wait for them. Imelda Marcos, at the height of her power as Ferdinand Marcos’ first lady, was notorious for tardiness, making people wait up to three hours for her grand entrance.

After people power toppled the Marcos dictatorship, Corazon Aquino tried to set the example in punctuality, sometimes arriving even ahead of others at events. Negative perceptions of “Filipino time,” however, have persisted. The passage of RA 10535 should boost efforts to reverse that perception. That a law has to be enacted to promote punctuality says a lot about the depth of the problem. Every person’s time is precious. Filipino time should be synonymous with being on time.