I have been witnessing the "Juan Time" - launching last Thursday here in Davao City as consultant of DOST Department of Science and Technology Region XI Mindanao. This is a re-post of the Editorial of "Mindanao Daily Mirror" (November 19, 2011), with friendly permission of my publisher Ma-am "Tita" Marietta F. Siongco... .
" With the end in view making all Filipinos from all walks of life throughout the archipelago conscious of coming to appointments on time, the regional office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched last Thursday the Philippine Standard Time dubbed "Juan Time" during the opening of the First Regional Invention contest and Exhibits. The DOST hopes that the launching of "Juan Time" will change the "Filipino Time" mindset of our people. So, from here on it is also our fondest wish that people will no longer be late in attending meetings, conferences and all gatherings, including parties. Sad to say, for so long many people have developed the bad habit of coming to appointments late on the fallacious excuse of observing "Filipino Time",meaning arriving to appointments 30 minutes to one hour late. - So, to avoid setting back the start of an affair, some people deliberately make the official schedule of an event, including social activities like weddings one hour ahead. On the other hand, many people refer to arriving on time as "American Time" because Americans and other Westerners are noted for coming to appointments at the scheduled time. ... . So, when it's six o'clock in the morning in one place, it's the same time throughout the 7,107 islands comprising the Philippine archipelago.
