Editorial: The value of being punctual

That Filipinos are always late or have a skewed sense of time has become an accepted fact, though not necessarily true or a good value to emulate. We should put a stop to the concept of “Filipino time” which loosely means being late and which gives the impression that we are not considerate of the time of other people. With the changing pace of doing business, the stress on punctuality as a social value has become very essential.
In a forum of the Department of Science and Technology about two years, the Philippine Standard Time was discussed by Engr. Lolita Vinalay, chief meteorological officer of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Administration-Butuan, to various government agencies in the region. She stressed the importance of synchronizing time as “every minute or even second matters in going to school, catching flights or disaster operations.”
The DOST Information office said that in 2011, the department launched “Juan Time”, a campaign to eradicate the concept of “Filipino Time” and encourage everyone to follow a single time standard. This soon became law through Republic Act 10535, also known as “The Philippine Standard Time (PST) Act of 2013.”
Setting a synchronized time is just one aspect in our effort to stress punctuality. We need to make being on time a habit starting at home. Inculcating to children the importance of punctuality not only in dealing with other people but also within the family will instill in them respect for the time of others.