We explain daylight savings time and why it’s not really what MMDA meant.
Last week, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) told the press that the government was studying a proposed implementation of daylight saving time (DST) to lessen cars on the road.
By definition, DST is the practice of adjusting time one hour ahead during the dry season, when the days are longer, and back one hour later in the year when the nights are longer.
In short, it maximizes the use of daylight hours to conserve energy and essentially get more work done before sunset.
It was first introduced in Germany as a way to conserve fuel during World War I when it was the primary source of energy but the coal and fuel supply was scarce.
In the Philippines during the time of President Corazon Aquino, she issued National Emergency Memorandum Order No. 17-- in view of a severe power crisis-- that took effect from July 28, 1990 to August 31, 1990. Then when the rainy season began she issued Executive Order 415 series of 1990 lifting the DST.
Now it is being studied as a transportation solution in large countries and continents that transit systems like trains and planes have to follow DST rules when going in and out of different time zones.
The Philippines is in one zone, therefore, eliminating the need for DST other than for energy conservation such as when it was shortly implemented in the past to lessen the strain on the power grid.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes clarified that they were referring to an adjustment in government office hours.
“Baka daw po pwede na ang pasok sa gobyerno at yung mga transaksyon sa gobyerno ay simulan ng 7:00 a.m. at mag-end ng 4:00 p.m.,” he said.
The current government working hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The proposed shift is meant to alleviate rush hours on the road.
Many. mostly motorists, argue that MMDA may have misunderstood the meaning of DST. However, changing the government work hours may not be such a bad idea now that more workers are commuting again.
According to MMDA, the daily volume of vehicles along EDSA pre-pandemic was 405,000 and recently hit 390,000 before the big oil price hikes.
The agency is also eyeing the expansion of the number coding scheme to include 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the current 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. coding scheme.
Also read: MMDA: Not yet time to expand number coding scheme
Tags: #mmda, #daylightsavingstime, #transportation, #traffic, #workhours