I’ve been a proponent of punctuality from day one. Showing up in meetings on time is a discipline that I’ve acquired from the BPO industry. It taught me to respect other’s time, be more productive at work (and play), and most importantly spend time with family and friends.

Seeing the post about “ Juan Time, The New Filipino Time ” by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Science and Technology Information Institute , I instantly took a great interest in their campaign.

At first, I thought, “Is Philippine Standard Time (PST) going to be only synchronized within the country? How about the world, considering we are all connected through the Internet?” My questions come from the fact that I base my time utilizing an atomic clock to ensure I’m synchronized with everyone in the world.

I had to do a little bit of research and compared the time between the clock found on the Pagasa DOST website and The World Time Server. Definitely good news. They are synchronized!

We can now all use the tool to check the right time. Better yet, why not change the time now on all your clocks and watches in the household. The link on the DOST website might not be java based, like other websites, but it works. You only need to click on the Philippine Standard Time link and a pop-up window will appear to show you the time.

I do, however, know that changing the time is just at tiny step to break an old habit of people thinking Filipinos are always late. But, it’s a start.

Imagine the effects of being on time! My favorite? Productivity.

So, what time is it on your watch?