A HOUSE of Representatives panel approved on Tuesday a measure allowing the Philippine President to advance clocks in the country by one hour in the first six months of a year to maximize labor and educational productivity during the dry season.
Endorsed by the House economic affairs committee, House Bill No. 7750 grants the President the power to declare daylight saving time from Jan. 1 to June 1 of a given year to offset productivity losses in the second half of the year due to the rainy season.
“Currently, both the labor and the educational sector are suffering from interruptions in the productive hours brought about by torrential rains and the consequent floodings during the rainy season,” according to the measure.
“It is essential that the state take preventive measures in this decline in productivity by adjusting the Philippine Standard Time (PST) by one hour during the dry season,” it added.
Daylight saving time is a practice of adjusting clocks by an hour ahead during the dry season when days are longer and turning it back by an hour in the latter parts of the year to nullify possible productivity loss.
Previous administrations had briefly applied daylight saving time, with the most recent implementation in 1990 under the government of ex-President Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino when the country was grappling with electricity issues. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
