FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
;'T 12 ,'. 
S EN A TE 
S. B. NO. 3479 
INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
, 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Time is a vital component of our social, legal, political and economic 
activities. By synchronizing the official watches and clocks in the country, Filipinos 
can all sing the national anthem at the same time, welcome the new year in unison; 
blend time-sensitive chemical mixtures like medicines and food ingredients; 
synchronize security locks and other devices; run air, land and sea transportation 
lines; and to develop a culture of punctuality and practice wise spending of time to 
be more productive at home, school and the workplace. 
The bill then proposes for a national official time - the Philippine Standard 
Time (PST)-in all of the country's official sources; and provide for funds to install, 
operate and maintain synchronized time devices displayed in key public places. 
Likewise it aims to institutionalize the "National.Time Consciousness Week." 
Early passage of this Bill is urged. 
~Do~?;d;A 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
12  } ,
, 
r.,,,,, 
• , 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 3479 
Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
AN ACT 
. 
TO SET THE PHILIPPINE STANDARD TIME (PST) IN ALL OFFICIAL SOURCES 
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE INSTALLATION, 
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SYNCHRONIZED TIME DEVICES TO BE 
DISPLA YED IN KEY PUBLIC PLACES AND TO DECLARE THE FIRST WEEK OF 
EVERY YEAR AS NATIONAL TIME CONSCIOUSNESS WEEK. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o/Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION L Short Title. - This Act shall be knbwn as "The Philippine Standard Time 
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(PST) Act of2009, " 
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SEC. 2. Display of the Philippine Standard Time. 
All national and local government 
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offices shall display the Philippine Standard Time (PST) on their official time devices, including 
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Bundy clocks, in accordance with the official time being provided by the Philippine 
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Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services' Administration (PAGASA) using its 
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network time protocol. All of these offices shall coordinate, at least once a month, with the 
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PAGASA to synchronize their official timepieces and devices. 
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SEC. 3. Monitoring, Maintenance and Dissemination of the PST. - The PAGASA's 
, 
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Time Service Unit, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 
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shall be tasked to monitor, maintain and disseminate the PST throughout the country, The 
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PAGASA shall operate and maintain a timekeeping system to perform this function and shall 
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endeavor to install and maintain sufficiently large and pr,ominently displayed synchronized time 
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devices in all their field stations and in key public places. 
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SEC. 4. Procurement of Equipment for the Automatic Dissemination of Time. 
The 
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amount of Sixty Million Pesos (P60,OOO,OOO.OO) is hereby appropriated for the acquisition of six 
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(6) units of equipment for automatic dissemination of time with Global Positioning System 


5 
10 
15 
20 
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(GPS). The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) shall be the procurement overseer 
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of these equipment. 
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SEC. 5. General Appropriations. 
The amount necessary for the implementation of this 
4 
Act shall be included in the appropriation of P AGASA under the DOST under the General 
. Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such amount as may' be necessary for the upgrading and/or 
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maintenance of the timekeeping system shall be included in the annual budget of the DOST and 
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PAGASA. 
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SEC. 6. Implementing Guidelines. 
The PAGASA, in coordination with DOST, NTC, 
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DOTC, DILG, DND and DOH, shall promulgate the necessary guidelines for the effective 
implementation of the calibration and synchronization of the time-keeping devices within fifteen 
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(15) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
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SEC. 7. Participation of Media. -
The National Telecommunications Commission 
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(NTC) shall require the participation of all government and private television and radio stations 
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in order to ensure that such synchronization can be undertaken even in the most remote parts of 
the country. 
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SEC. 8. Violations. 
For any violation of the provisions of this Act, the Commissioner 
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of the National Telecommunications Commission or the duly authorized representative may 
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apply to the appropriate Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts or Municipal Circuit 
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Trial Courts for the territorial jurisdiction in which such violation occurs for the enforcement of 
this Act; and such court shall have jurisdiction to enforce obedience thereto by writ of injunction 
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or by other process, mandatory or otherwise, restraining further violations of this Act and 
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enjoining obedience thereto. 
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Owners ofprivate television and radio stations who shall fail to calibrate and synchronize 
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their time devices with PST during their broadcast shall upon conviction, be penalized with a 
fine of not less than Thirty Thousand Pesos (P30,000.00) but not more than Fifty Thousand 
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Pesos (P50,000.00) and in case of second offense, revocation and cancellation of its franchise to 
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operate. 
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SEC. 9. Information Campaign. - All national aild local government offices, including 
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all schools, public or private, shall conduct a continuing information about the value of time and 
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need for respect for the time of others, in order that the people may realize the imperative of 
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synchronizing the official time. 
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SEC. 10. Institutionalization of the "National Time Consciousness Week". 
The 
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"National Time Consciousness Week" shall be institutionalized and celebrated every first week 
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of the year. 
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SEC. I 1. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and 
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effect. 
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SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules 
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and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this 
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Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
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SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the 
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Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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