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| Photo by cc |
I REMEMBER my late grandfather telling us one time during a meal at the table that we should take time for eating. And he elaborated that it applies in every aspect that we do in life. From home, to school, workplace and every place we are in, time is a factor. Growing up with this culture of time at home prepared me in daily situations and circumstances in my life.
Actually I was not only on time in the things that I do but I made sure I was even early. In meeting up with people and going to places both business and leisure I made sure I was always fifteen minutes early. And in meeting deadlines I was always ahead of schedule. If I have to do a project or any endeavor I don’t procrastinate and I do the job as soon as possible efficiently and effectively.
Back in the university there was an incentive that if you were never late and absent you earn extra points. I recall getting much higher grades because of perfect attendance at the end of a semester. One time a professor in the beginning of classes mentioned that we had the option to write a paper about anything on the subject of the class. I crafted the project early on and it was out of the way so that I could focus on other matters concerning that class. At the end I was only one of the few who submitted the extra paper if not the only one who did so. My other classmates have forgotten that the teacher even suggested it.
After graduation and going into the phase of job hunting in my life I kept that practice of always being early. I recall being complimented by human resources officers for always arriving early. I believe that it is a good sign on how an applicant will perform in the company after being hired. It is a very good impression that can affect one’s chances of landing the job.
Commuting to work by using public transport also tested my ingenuity of keeping time. This I have experienced in taking the trains of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System or MRT. If the train is full and a passenger is way inside of it then there’s a possibility that he or she won’t be able to get out on time as the doors would have already closed. Every minute counts in taking trains. During rush hour I just stood close to the doors as it was more convenient that way.
This practice though is self imposed. I do not expect other people to do the same. But if they do it then it’s well appreciated. The Filipino concept of time has a reputation that it is always late. Events commence thirty minutes or even to an hour behind schedule. Useless waiting happens most of the time. Even government projects are delayed or even sometimes unfinished. Personally, I think our country is having a hard time following through progress because of the Filipino time.
Living in the Philippines you become more patient and more considerate in keeping with time. Even television shows don’t start on the dot. Flights get delayed. Traffic in Manila makes it worse. Bus trips also are not on time. With this kind of culture progress and prosperity are also lagging behind. This third world practice is prevalent and harming the country’s chances of finally becoming a tiger economy. Corruption also seeps in as delays give opportunity for dishonesty instead of carrying out things according to plan.
Time is gold. And I think that our country has never won a gold medal in the Olympics because in Sports even a millisecond counts. People comment that it is more relaxed this way. And they just want to keep the status quo. Well time is a factor in people’s lives. From the time you were born and the time you leave your earthly duties time is recorded. For multiple births for example a sibling is older than the other by just minutes. If we can’t keep up with a minute how much more can we deal with an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade or a century.
Filipinos who have traveled or worked abroad can tell you how the concept of time affects their experiences in progressive first world countries. If they went to the United States of America they will probably mention a little bit about American time. Americans are strict about time. Time is well synchronized. And day to day events happen smoothly. If ever, delays happen minimally.
In my own experience travelling to Europe and going specifically to Germany and Switzerland my perspective on time changed. These two nations have a reputation for their impeccable timeliness. German and Swiss precision at its best. When taking the bus there is a screen which tells you the exact time the bus will arrive. People are running
to catch the bus or the tram. They will not wait for you. No Sir, not even for a second. I felt at ease and even at home with this culture of time. My own personal beliefs on time working to my advantage. I was like a kid at a candy store. The best thing I liked about it is that waiting is no longer stressful. If it said that the bus will arrive at 8:18 the bus will arrive at exactly that time on the dot.
There is also another point I have noticed in Switzerland or Germany. Going home to the Philippines we had to take a train from Zurich to Frankfurt then take a plane to Manila. When I looked at the brochure for the train’s stops at the schedule I was amazed in what I have seen. Stopover at this place is 7:14 to 7:17 only and at another 10:08 to 10:12 only. That was the only moment I experienced that minutes were a factor in a time schedule. I was so used to the Philippines way of doing things by the hour or half the hour. To experience timeliness in a foreign land was exhilarating for me. I extremely enjoyed it.
My sister, Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido who won a Ramon Magsaysay Award together with her husband Dr. Christopher Bernido in 2010 knows too well the significance of timeliness. They practice being on time in their school wherein all watches and clocks are synchronized to Bloomberg time. Both are scientists and well traveled. Time translates to success in every effort or endeavor. From plays to sports and other activities time is of the essence. The national success of their trail blazing program made waves locally and now globally. Their time has come.
My brother, Atty. Juan Luis Z. Carpio is also doing the same on the homefront. He is the president of the Naga City Camarines Sur Football Association. To be competitive in sports time is indeed a factor. The ABC STARS U9 football team won as Champions at the De La Salle Zobel Football Festival 2013. The office that I share with him is lined with trophies from excelling in soccer. He is the proponent of bicol time is on time. I asked him why time is essential. And his answer was short and simple just one word but meant the whole world- respect.