New PH Time, universally time zoned

Written by BPNews Team | 20 November 2011

LOS BANOS-- Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo has become literally "man of the hour" - by encouraging national synchronization of all time pieces in the country. Using a clock prototype which displays the Philippine Standard Time (PST) and dubbing it as a "Juan Time" piece – he set a new model in expunging the shameful Pinoy reputation of being chronically late for appointments.

Montejo explains that, "... if there is something that can, even at the visceral level, unite Pinoys all over, it is that one commodity that everyone has – ONE UNITED TIME or JUAN TIME."

For most of Pilipinos long used to working, playing, and living based on a time piece that shows conflicting time checks with those around him, Juan Time promises a standard. However, the standard is not only Philippine time zoned but one which follows a universally coordinated time otherwise known as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

UTC is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. A close successor to the Greenwich Mean Time or GMT, UTC is relied upon by computer servers, online services, and other entities that require having a universally accepted time.

The old way of Pinoys who rely on Internet UTC servers for time check may suffice if one still prefers limited precision. What makes Juan Time or PST different is that it offers sub-microsecond precision -- time that is obtainable from DOST-PAGASA's GPS receiver and a rubidium atomic clock which tells International Atomic Time. Established decades ago through appointment of DOST-PAGASA as the country's official time keeper, PST, however, has never been strictly enforced.

Now with the whole country setting their time pieces following Juan Time, every second promises to be exactly timed. (AM Guevarra, DOST IV-A S&T Media Service/NDS, PIA-Calabarzon)