Thinking in time

I still remember Christmas and New Year Masses that began at 12 a.m. These services now begin as early as 6 p.m. It is probably only in the Philippines where people have to inquire at what time the midnight Mass will start. Midnight no longer designates a specific and unvarying point in time.

The flexible approach to time, despite the precision offered by digital timepieces, is certainly not unique to the Philippines. Other countries also accommodate the concept of “rubber time.” But last September, the Department of Science and Technology launched a nationwide campaign for all Filipinos to observe one common “Juan Time.”

Time-keeping is partly a technical issue. What is the right time? In the countdown to the New Year, the time kept by television, FM and AM stations by which we set wall clocks and wrist watches varied by as much as 10 minutes. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has the mandate and accountability for keeping the correct Philippine Standard Time (PST) that should prevail across the entire archipelago. It must ensure that broadcast media follow their signals.

Science Secretary Mario Montejo hopes that “With Juan Time, Filipino time will come to mean ‘on time’ and no longer late.” Enforcement of the PST will render less plausible the excuse that the radio or the television time signals were off by 10 minutes. But knowing the correct time, of course, does not ensure that people will keep their scheduled appointments.

Punctuality is not the only issue. It connects also to the concern about the value we attach to time. Businesses take measures to ensure that time they pay is productively used. But we generally appear to underestimate the opportunity cost of wasted time.

Why, for instance, is there no greater drive for a concerted, sustained effort to address the problem of traffic congestion? Consider not only the actual cost of fares, but also the fuel consumed and the pollution discharged into the environment. And then factor in the potential productivity losses when people spend four to six hours a day commuting to work or school.

We also need to promote a greater appreciation of time, not just as a cost but as a resource. With the advances in technology and the sciences, mastery of one’s discipline is increasingly demanding longer periods of specialized training, particularly in applied scientific fields like medicine. The World Health Organization has identified over 13,000 different diseases and types of injury. Expertise comes from committing time to concentrate and practice on specific problem areas.

The resistance to an additional two years in basic education often focuses on the need to complete the transition from schooling to employment as quickly as possible. But learning takes time, and graduation is not the all-encompassing goal. The employment open to the students when they graduate critically depends on what they are actually able to learn in school. Cramming into 10 years the tools, concepts and skills that students in most countries cover in 12 years will not ensure acquisition of the desired competencies.

Perhaps, the dimension of time most difficult to comprehend and to manage with discipline and integrity relates to the questions of priority and perspective. Niñgas-cogon or flash-in-the-pan projects illustrate the problem. These start out with pizzazz, but quickly fizzle out, seemingly designed to shock and awe for instant, short-term gratification, rather than for deep and sustainable impact. In politics, the short, electoral cycle often trumps the long-term view. Why invest in projects, however strategic, whose returns may benefit another politician?

In a recent interview, David McCullough, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner (for his biographies of Harry Truman and of John Adams) called attention to a feature in the hall where the United States Congress conducts its deliberations. On top of the clock on the wall is a sculpture of Clio, the Greek goddess of history. According to McCullough, the design was meant to send a visual reminder to the members of Congress: each time the lawmakers looked at the clock to keep track of the time passing by, their glimpse of Clio should also remind them that, beyond their own time, history will pass its own judgment on their actions and decisions.

One wonders how many of the honorable members of the United States Congress would actually recognize the image of Clio; and, recognizing it, understand and take to heart the message it conveys. That some might be guided by the goddess is a good hope to cling to.

I do not recall any image of Clio decorating the halls of the Philippine Senate. Still, we must hope that our honorable senators, as they conduct the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice, will keep in mind that history will render judgment on their actions and decisions—as will civil society in the next elections.

Edilberto C. de Jesus is president of the Asian Institute of Management.