There is the problem of "Filipino time" which is better known as NOT being on time. The term "Filipino time" was invented as an excuse by Failipinos to be late. However enlightened Pinoys have fought to redeem the term for the better, not continue it for the worse. I refuse to call it Filipino time if they don't comply with Philippine time... that is 3:00 P.M. in the Philippines IS 3:00 P.M. in the Philippines.
I heard a Cebuano professor once say, "The Visayas follows Filipino time that is, we follow Philippine time. We are on time." The tagline was just above, "I'm a Pinoy and I'm on time!" Such a campaign must be continuous considering being late is a habit that has been developed by many Filipinos. Fortunately some Pinoys take a change for the better.
In my case to launch a campaign for being on time, the tagline should be, "Being Late - Not More Fun in the Philippines. Being on Time - It's More Fun in the Philippines." Which can also carry out, "Let's practice timeliness and make it more fun in the Philippines by being timely."
So how does time consciousness boost Philippine tourism and investment? Here's what I learned from a businesswoman who is a family friend of ours:
Being on time means having a word of honor
Timeliness is part of the word of honor. If you cannot keep a commitment of showing up at agreed time, it shows you are dishonorable. It's a huge waste of the person's efficiency. Being on time makes a person more honest, truthful and can be reliable. Being late is proof of having no sense of honor, sad to say but bad Pinoys or Failipinos have no sense of honor towards their fellow Pinoys.
Being on time means efficiency and effectiveness
Efficiency means to produce more at less time. Effectiveness means to produce the desired result. Now one can be effective but one can be inefficient. Both must go together. Like it's possible to produce delicious food but if it takes too long, effectiveness will suffer as well. Being on time means creating a well-to-do labor force that will get supply and demand met. Timeliness promotes a smoother flow, less bottlenecks and better work environment aside from reasonable authority. It is NOT dictatorial to demand punctuality and it does NOT require a graduate school degree to understand that punctuality helps businesses and gets more things done for the better.
Being on time means an added edge towards proper law enforcement
A proper law enforcement can only be done with being on time. Responsiveness to emergency is a need. Being hostage or a victim of crime is not more fun in the Philippines nor anywhere else around the world. You cannot deny that timeliness is a necessity. The PNP's lack of timeliness ruined the vacation of Chinese tourists hence causing a decline of tourism. If law enforcement were done properly and on time, tourism should boost up.
Foreign investors DO NOT have a cultural sensitivity towards Failipino time
There was the statement I remembered, "Well I practice Filipino time and it's just as we agreed. It's 2:00 and it's 2:00." My professor once said, "If you are late even for a minute, they'll tell you, "You're late." Now some countries do give a ten minutes allowance.... however most of them don't considering they start pretty reasonable. For example a 10:00 A.M. meeting means YOU HAVE MUCH TIME. To waste much time not to arrive at such a schedule is an irritation to foreign investors. The Visayas practicing time consciousness makes it investor friendly.
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