Purpose, guiding principles
- The IRR prescribes the manner, procedures, and guidelines for effective implementation of Republic Act No. 10535.
- The IRR is promulgated to facilitate compliance with the Act and to achieve its objectives.
- The IRR invokes the Constitution, Article II, Section 24, recognizing the vital role of communication and information in nation building.
- The IRR treats time as vital to social, legal, political, religious, military, and economic activities, including precise coordination of national ceremonies, government services, and transportation operations.
- The IRR emphasizes the role of accurate timing in meteorology, including synchronizing weather observations and enabling timely forecasts and warnings.
- The IRR recognizes the dependence of navigation and communication systems, including television and radio networks, on accurate time sources and synchronization.
- The IRR directs development of a culture of punctuality and wise time management through synchronized official time use by government offices.
Key definitions established
- “Act” refers to Republic Act No. 10535, the “Philippine Standard Time Act of 2013.”
- “Agency of the Government” refers to any government unit, including departments, bureaus, offices, instrumentalities, government-owned or controlled corporations, local government units, and district units therein.
- “Calibration and Synchronization” means checking or adjusting by comparison with the standard that ensures operational accuracy of timepieces and devices.
- “Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)” is the official world time; UTC 00:00:00 coincides with midnight at the zero meridian in Greenwich, England, and serves as the basis for all civil timekeeping.
- “Global Positioning System (GPS)” is the accurate time source using 24 orbiting satellites carrying atomic clocks, as the world’s principal supplier of accurate time for time source and time transfer.
- “Network Time Protocol (NTP)” is an Internet standard protocol that assures synchronization of computer clocks to the milliseconds in a network.
- “Official Time Piece and Device” means an instrument designated in covered offices, such as clocks and watches that measure, register, or record time, and any apparatus for measuring, recording, and displaying progress of time reflecting the Philippine Standard Time; displays include public analogue or digital clocks.
- “Philippine Standard Time (PhST)” is the national official time in all of the country’s official sources.
- “Television and Radio Stations” refers to government-owned or private television and radio stations throughout the country.
- “Time Service Unit (TSU)” is the PAGASA unit that maintains the national standard of time and frequency, disseminates precise time and frequency via internet, television, radio broadcast and other means, extends calibration and standardization services, and exchanges time and frequency data with overseas institutions.
National coverage and mandatory observance
- The IRR applies nationally and covers: (a) national government agencies including SUCs and GOCCs; (b) Local Government Units; (c) government television and radio stations; (d) private television and radio stations; (e) private corporations/agencies; and (f) people’s organizations, NGOs, and civil society groups.
- All national and local government offices must display the PhST on their official time devices, including bundy clocks, displayed clocks, quartz clocks, and websites, using the official time provided by PAGASA through its network time protocol.
- Official time devices must be prominently displayed in areas readily accessible to employees and the general public.
- All private television and radio stations and all private corporations/agencies must observe the PhST.
- All covered offices must, at least once a month, coordinate with PAGASA through its TSU to synchronize official timepieces and devices.
- The IRR requires a public-access concept of official time displays in key public places, including airports, seaports, expressways, government buildings and offices, government electronic boards, and similar establishments.
Display, synchronization procedure, and functions
- PAGASA must provide the official PhST for use by covered offices and broadcasting/communications channels through its network time protocol.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must issue a step-by-step procedure forming part of the IRR to ensure timely synchronization of official timepieces and devices.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must operate a reliable and accurate timekeeping system to maintain the national standard of time and frequency as the basis for determining PhST.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must disseminate precise time and frequency throughout the country using modes of transmission/dissemination, including telephone, internet using an NTP Server System, and television and radio networks.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must monitor accuracy and monitor implementation and compliance with the IRR, including nationwide television and radio stations.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must advise NTC of monitoring results through a progress or status report indicating whether monitored television and radio stations are compliant or not, and must make this available every end of month.
- If PAGASA monitors non-compliance by a television or radio station, PAGASA must notify in writing within twenty-four (24) hours of such non-compliance.
- The written notice to the television or radio station must be part of the status report submitted to NTC and must contain adequate information on: (a) the nature of alleged non-synchronized/non-calibrated time; and (b) the date and time of the alleged non-compliance.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must endeavor to install and maintain sufficiently large and prominently displayed synchronized time devices in field stations and in key public places.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must devise an effective schedule for calibration and synchronization of time devices to ensure accuracy in accordance with UTC.
- PAGASA, through TSU, must determine appropriate internal timekeeping systems and recommend necessary specifications for procurement of time pieces and devices for automatic dissemination with GPS.
- PAGASA must coordinate with DOST for effective implementation and performance of these TSU functions.
Public access to PhST
- The general public may access PhST through PAGASA’s Astronomical Observatory, Forecasting Center, or PAGASA ICT group.
- The general public may access PhST through all DOST agencies, including their regional and provincial offices.
- The general public may access PhST through all PAGASA regional and field stations.
- The general public may access PhST via the internet using an NTP Server System located in the PAGASA website.
- The general public may access PhST through any national and local government offices.
- The general public may access PhST through government and private television stations and government and private radio stations.
- The IRR authorizes access through other reliable means that provide accurate PhST.
- Reliance on information accessed through any of the stated means is treated as based on PhST.
Procurement and funding mechanics
- Equipment for automatic dissemination of time to all concerned national and local offices, including government and private television and radio stations, must be procured in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 (the “Government Procurement Reform Act”) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
- DOST is the procurement overseer of the equipment mentioned for automatic dissemination.
- The amount necessary for implementation of Republic Act No. 10535 must be included in the appropriation of PAGASA under DOST in the General Appropriations Act.
- Thereafter, amounts necessary for upgrading and/or maintaining the timekeeping system must be included in the annual budget of DOST and PAGASA.
NTC enforcement and penalties
- NTC must require participation of all government and private television and radio stations nationwide to ensure synchronization of timekeeping devices even in remote parts of the country.
- NTC has jurisdiction to: (a) enforce or enjoin obedience to RA 10535; (b) hear and investigate violations of RA 10535 and issue subpoena ad testificandum and subpoena duces tecum to secure witnesses and documents; and (c) restrain further violations by writ of injunction or other legal process, whether mandatory or otherwise.
- Owners of private television and radio stations who unjustifiably fail to calibrate and synchronize their time devices with PhST during broadcast must be penalized after hearing and due proceedings.
- For a first offense, the penalty for private television/radio station owners is a fine of not less than PHP 30,000 but not more than PHP 50,000, and revocation and cancellation of franchise to operate.
- In determining failure to calibrate and synchronize, a tolerable time deviation of plus (+) or minus (-) 5 seconds from PhST is acceptable.
- Any government employee or officer principally responsible for implementation who fails to calibrate and synchronize devices with PhST becomes administratively liable without prejudice to any civil or criminal liability that may be imposed.
- The fine collected as penalty for violation must be deposited in the general fund of the National Treasury.
Public education and National Time Consciousness Week
- All national and local government offices, including schools (public or private), people’s organizations, NGOs, and civil society groups must conduct public awareness and continuing information campaigns on the value of time and respect for others’ time.
- The information campaign must enable the public to realize the imperative of synchronizing official time.
- Information must be disseminated through the internet and printed materials such as newspapers, brochures, and pamphlets.
- Government and private television and radio stations must participate by providing free time slots for advertisement/information campaign on the value of time.
- Dissemination of information and continuing education must commence within thirty (30) days from approval of the IRR.
- Government information agencies and media facilities, in coordination with private media, must assist in discussions of PhST.
- The National Time Consciousness Week must be institutionalized and celebrated every first week of January each year.
- PAGASA and the Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) of DOST, in collaboration with government agencies, must organize activities for the observance of National Time Consciousness Week.
- Government agencies through the CSC are encouraged to issue necessary guidelines for government agencies to follow PhST.
- The public must participate and cooperate actively in the week’s activities and in propagating a culture of punctuality and wise time management.
Repeal, amendments, separability, effectivity
- All circulars, memoranda, executive orders, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with any provision of the IRR are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
- If any part or provision of the IRR is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts not affected remain in full force and effect.
- PAGASA, in coordination with DOST, NTC, DOTC, DILG, DND, DOH, DepEd, CHED, CSC, and other concerned agencies, may cause amendments to the IRR as need arises.
- The IRR takes effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or two newspapers of general circulation in the country.