MIRIAM PUSHES FOR PHILIPPINE STANDARD TIME

It’s about time.

Aiming to synchronize the functions government agencies through a single time reference, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago filed Senate Bill No. 2535, also known as the One Time Philippines Act.

“Discrepancies in time between government agencies have led to unnecessary friction brought about by the disparate interpretation of schedules and their observance,” Santiago said.

Under the proposed law, all government offices, government-owned corporations and local governments are compelled to observe and maintain their schedules according to a Philippine Standard Time (PST). The bill also encourages the private sector to follow suit.

“A definite time reference would remove inefficiencies brought about by different interpretations of time, particularly among government offices,” Santiago said.

The bill mandates the Philippine Atmospherical Geophysical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) to establish the PST. Presidential Decree No. 78 has designated PAG-ASA as the official time service agency of the country.

Santiago recently secured new Senate rules to punish absent or late senators, and to prevent them from delaying the passage of bills. The Senate also approved her motion for sessions to start promptly at 3:00 p.m.