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A painful process of transformation

Friday, April 11, 2014 02:26 AM    Views : 3518by:Aristotle P. Carandang, PhD

Progenitors and supporters of Republic Act 10535 have been jumping for joy since the official implementation of the law on 21 December 2013. This was 15 days after publication of its implementing rules and regulation. By the way, the law is called The Philippine Standard Time Act of 2013.   

But is everybody happy?

Surely, not. I can say this because in one of my recent travels down south, I happened to share Juan Time (as I always informally do) over lunch with those I was officially meeting with.  "Good luck" was one solid reaction I received from them when they found out that my office (DOST-STII has been mandated to promote the National Time Consciousness Week), together with PAGASA, is responsible for making the people aware of the law.

A couple of years back, the same "good luck" was very common in places I visited. It just felt wrong especially when it sounded with so much sarcasm. In fact, even in our very own sweet STII office, not everyone was sold to the idea, at first. And that same sounding ‘good luck' truly sent me back in time.

A more direct, negative comment I personally received was the phrase "suntok sa buwan". (Please see related article at S&T Post Issue No. 1 Volume XXXII, 1st Quarter 2014 at www.stii.dost.gov.ph)The phrase is a Filipino idiomatic expression that means ‘long shot'.  

Truly, Juan Time as the new Filipino time is a painful process of transformation for most of us especially those who have always been ‘fashionably late'.

A revelation came about later on, however.

It seemed that many of us truly want to embrace the positive change; only that no one was brave enough to make the first move. This became very evident when an unexpectedly huge and diverse crowd attended the launch of what was supposed to be a quiet advocacy on 30 September 2011. (See related videos: Juan Time Launching & Jessica Soho's SONA featuring Juan Time)

You might ask, why write about it now? Flashback?

There are few simple reasons. First, it seems that after the very simple flag raising ceremonies simultaneously done all over the country on the first Monday of 2014, January 6th to be exact, no more stories came out as follow through. Next, it is our moral (and professional, too) obligation to remind everyone of this newly emerging Filipino consciousness which we hope would lead to positive attitudinal and behavioral changes in the future, near or otherwise.

And third, I want that tiny fire of hope to continue burning. I cannot let this one die a natural death without giving a good fight.

Reality check. We know that such change would not happen overnight. This bad habit may almost be ingrained in our culture but hope lives that somewhere, somehow Filipinos are on the move into practicing Juan Time: The New Filipino Time.

The question is: Are you ready to feel the pain?

S & T Trivia

" Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III demonstrated that tilapia's fry fed with sex hormones can turn female potential fry into male. "

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