Designed by James B. Intia, DOST-STII
For every one of us, dealing with time, schedules, and deadlines to serve our clients and work with our colleagues are things that we cannot simply avoid. So, the Department of Science and Technology, once again, is leading the nation to encourage everyone to support the advocacy for the observance of the National Time Consciousness Week (NTCW) this coming January 1-7, 2023.
As we bid goodbye to 2022 and welcome 2023, the DOST remains at the forefront of promoting the National Time Consciousness Week (NTCW) with the theme “Oras Pinas: Tamang Oras Tungo sa Maunlad na Pilipinas” to synchronize all timepieces across the country.
This year’s theme is anchored on promoting the culture of punctuality, of being on time, and in giving mutual respect for each other’s time. The wise use of time serves as key driver in building a progressive nation that aspires for inclusive growth and development.
The Philippine Standard Time (PhST) Act of 2013.
This advocacy aims to promote the new Pilipino time which is under Republic Act No. 10535 or The Philippine Standard Time (PhST) Act of 2013.
The law requires all national and local government agencies, as well as broadcasting companies, to adhere to and display the PhST in their respective offices. This makes these entities not only united but also in sync with each other, a perfect gesture of synergy needed to efficiently run a bureaucracy.
The DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is designated as the official timekeeper.
To fully implement the law, the DOST started in 2011 an advocacy campaign which was called “Juan Time”, a word play on “One Time” (single or unified time) and “Juan” being the common name for Filipinos.
Then the main campaign was rebranded two years ago into “Oras Pinas” to be more inclusive and meaningful for every Filipino and to dispel the negative connotation that Pilipino time is ‘always late’.
In 2021, the theme was “One Nation, One Time: Pilipinas On Time” which aimed to institutionalize the new Filipino culture of being always on time and having only one time as a nation. Then in 2022, the theme was Bangon Pinas Para sa Bagong Bukas:
Sundin ang Tamang Oras, which focused on advocating recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the theme zeroed in on the idea of helping in the nation-building, supporting efforts to achieve sustainable development, and promote inclusive growth by valuing time.
The GPS and the atomic clock
The PhST must be kept according to the Coordinated Universal Time (UCT)—the world’s official time. How does this office ensure that we get the correct time all the time? Since 2003, DOST-PAGASA has been using a very accurate clock, specifically a rubidium atomic clock for timekeeping. The rubidium clock is one of the two most widely used atomic clocks in the world (the other one being the more accurate cesium clock).
The rubidium clock at the DOST-PAGASA station is equipped with a receiver that receives timing signals from at least four orbiting satellites in the Global Positioning System (GPS) within its range. These satellites are each equipped with up to four atomic clocks which are periodically updated from a cesium atomic clock based in Boulder, Colorado.
This system keeps the DOST-PAGASA clock synchronized to the UTC. GPS is the same technology being used for modern navigation consisting of 24 satellites that broadcast their location, status, and precise time. Precise time is necessary for the GPS to work, as this will be used to compute the exact location of a receiver using geometry principles.
To sync your timepieces, just visit the DOST-PAGASA website (http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/) and get the official Oras Pinas time.
For more updates about Oras Pinas campaign, please visit the DOST Philippines official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DOSTph. (By Allan Mauro V. Marfal, DOST-STII)
