MANILA — From the car-jammed streets of Metro Manila, to an unending list of household chores, all the way to being outrageously cornered by nosy neighbors, Filipinos never seem to run out of excuses for being late whether for a casual meetup or, worse, for serious business transactions.

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For years, the trait of being notoriously late has been known around the world as “Filipino time”. But experts in the country want to turn things around and dispel any negative connotation associated to the word.

It remains unknown how or why the concept of “Filipino time” has become associated with always being late. What is clear, however, is that being late creates a negative domino effect at various levels.

“We believe that every minute we come late kahit sa simpleng meetings natin sa office, parang we grab the time of others. ‘Pag hindi nag-start on time, it has negative impact not only to personal lives but economics as well. We lose millions of pesos because of the traffic,” said Rude De Guzman, senior research specialist at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

While the "carmaggedon," especially in Metro Manila, may take a while to resolve, Aries Balanay of Project WATCH (We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty) explains it is an external factor beyond our control and should have no effect on how an individual views and treats time.

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“Naging practice ng mga Pinoy pag sinasabi na 'on time', usually dumarating nang late. Based on the research na nagawa namin, when you say 'on time', you have to be there before the agreed time,” he said.

As the name of their organization suggests, they advocate not only proper time management and punctuality but also honesty and respect when it comes to time.

“Ang international standard of being on time is you have to come at least 20 minutes prior the agreed time. In other countries, ‘pag sinabing 9 o’clock at dumating ka ng 9 o’clock, halos late na ‘yun sa kanila. You have to be there prior the set time.”

PUNCTUAL COUNTRIES

Based on the 2018 Social Progress Index, Switzerland, Denmark, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands are the most punctual and associate punctuality with respect and value for other people. They are also among the most progressive countries in the world.

In Japan, for instance, efficiency is maintained to ensure productivity.

The Shinkansen’s annual delay is 36 seconds. While that may be negligible in other countries, the delay prompt apologies from train management.

The Swiss are known to be highly efficient people, while the Dutch take punctuality very seriously.

“These countries are not only the most punctual and honest in the world, but they also have [some] of the world’s most progressive economies. They understand the value of time adherence and honesty as a driver of business efficiency and economic development and as citizens, they contribute by paying their taxes on time,” Balanay said.

In 2022, the same countries remained in the top 10 of the list. The Philippines ranked 81st.

But it is also worth noting that the rankings consider other things like basic human needs, opportunities, and foundations of well-being including schooling where honesty, respect, and value are taught and nurtured.

'START THEM YOUNG'

Project WATCH has partnered with different schools under the Department of Education to integrate honesty and punctuality in different subjects.

“Ang main objective, dapat sa lahat ng mga programs sa kabataan meron dapat ini-inculcate ang honesty and punctuality. In one of the studies we conducted, we saw na may correlation ang pag-i-implement ng Project WATCH, sa tumataas na ranking and productivity as a school,” Balanay said.

“Sinisimulan namin sa mga bata, para nai-pa-practice na nila habang bata ang pagiging honest and time-conscious.”

As the country commemorates National Time Consciousness Week, observed annually from January 1 to 7, the DOST and experts said the new year is also a good starting point to change old habits and put more value on something that usually cannot be taken back.

“Let’s shift from the saying na 'ang Pinoy laging late' to 'Filipino time is always on time'. Because time, once it’s gone, it’s lost forever,” said Thelma Cinco, officer-in-charge of DOST-PAGASA Office of the Deputy Administrator for Research and Development.

Like many old habits that die hard, it is also undeniably challenging to break free from the grip of “Filipino time” given the myriad of external factors at play.

But situations like the COVID-19 pandemic have proven that positive behavioral changes are possible and why they are actually important in the long term.