MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Philippine government has a New Year’s resolution for Filipinos: be on time.

Filipinos are urged to synchronize their watches with the official Philippine Standard Time (PhST) come New Year, in an effort to ensure all official time sources throughout the country display the same time.

This is in accordance with Republic Act 10535 or the Philippine Standard Time Act of 2013, which requires “all national and local government offices” as well as broadcasting companies to display PhST in their time sources “in accordance with the official time being provided by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).”

The law, which aims to prevent Filipinos from being tardy, also declared the first week of every year as National Time Consciousness Week.

“Our Juan Time campaign seeks to reverse the negative connotations of ‘Filipino Time’ from tardiness to punctuality, discipline, and utmost regard for other people’s time. Lateness often leads to missed opportunities. What we want is for Filipinos to arrive on time as the new norm,” said Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo.

The PhST will continue to follow the current time zone of GMT +8 hours.

One can visit this PAGASA website link to synchronize the time with Philippine Standard Time. Instructions are also available on the site to set up time synchronization on Windows machines.

According to DOST Assistant Secretary Raymund Liboro, the start of the New Year is the perfect opportunity for Filipinos to follow the PhST.

The Philippine Standard Time Act of 2013 was signed by Aquino on May 15, 2013.

Liboro said the country’s telecommunications providers, Smart Communications and Globe Telecom, have already been synchronized with PhST. – Rappler.com