The Philippines Actually Observed Daylight Saving Time in the Past

The concept of daylight saving time (DST), or adjusting the clock for an hour depending on the season, is foreign to most Filipinos. It is commonly used in certain European countries, states in the U.S., and parts of Australia, where they take advantage of longer daylight in the summer or shorter daylight in winter. But in the Philippines, where daytime and nighttime are relatively consistent all year round, we never really follow it.

The Philippine Congress, however, proposed to adopt a version of daylight saving time through House Bill No. 7750. Endorsed by the Philippine House Committee on Economic Affairs and approved by the House of Representatives on August 27, 2024, the proposal wanted to "allow the president to declare the adoption of daylight saving time (DST) in the public and private sectors and appropriating funds therefor" from January 1 to June 1 of a given year. Instead of being dependent on differences in daylight in either warmer or colder seasons, the local version is dependent on our monsoons. This measure is expected to offset productivity losses in the second half of the year, June to December, caused by "torrential rains and consequent floodings."

"It is essential that the state take preventive measures in this decline in productivity by adjusting the Philippine Standard Time (PST) by one hour during the dry season," the measure stated.

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What to Know About Daylight saving Time

In DST, clocks are set forward by one hour during the warmer months to extend evening daylight and then set back in the cooler months. This practice is designed to make better use of daylight and save energy. However, tropical countries like the Philippines, which experience relatively consistent daylight hours throughout the year, have found little need for such adjustments.

One of the primary arguments against DST in the Philippines is the minimal variation in daylight hours. Unlike countries further from the equator, where daylight hours can vary significantly between seasons, the Philippines enjoys almost equal day and night lengths year-round. This consistency reduces the potential energy saving that DST aims to achieve. Furthermore, implementing DST could disrupt daily routines and schedules, causing unnecessary confusion and inconvenience.

Proponents of DST argue that it could still offer benefits, such as aligning with international business hours and potentially boosting tourism by extending daylight activities. However, the logistical challenges and the minimal impact on energy consumption often outweigh these benefits. Additionally, studies have shown that the transition into and out of DST can negatively affect health, disrupting sleep patterns and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

History of Daylight saving Time in the Philippines

In the 20th century, the Philippine government saw other reasons to enforce daylight saving time, such as a national emergency (ex. World War II) in the '40s and an energy crisis in the '90s.

Proclamation No. 104 (1936 - 1937), President Manuel L. Quezon

On October 26, 1936, an "act to fix the standard time of the Philippines, and to authorize the president of the Philippines to establish a daylight saving time therein" was approved and enacted by the National Assembly of the Philippines. This was signed by former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon of the Commonwealth on October 30, 1936, so that "employees and laborers may be afforded sunlight for recreation purposes and, likewise, to effect saving in the use of light both to the Government and to the general public."

The daylight saving time in the Philippines back then was declared to be "between November 1, 1936, to January 31, 1937." It was ordered that at 12 midnight on October 31, 1936, the standard time of the Philippines should be advanced by one hour. The clock was "retarded one hour so as to return to standard time" on January 31, 1937, 12 midnight.

This was, however, shortened by two weeks when Quezon issued Proclamation No. 126, which revoked Proclamation No. 104. Instead of ending the daylight saving time on January 31, 1937, the clock was reverted to Philippine standard time at midnight on January 15, 1937.

Proclamation No. 789 (1941), President Manuel L. Quezon

Daylight saving time was also established in the Philippines during a time of "present emergency" in 1941. It ran from December 16, 1941, to January 31, 1942, and from March 1 to June 13, 1942. In connection to this, Executive Order No. 384 was declared, which ordered: "that the regular office hours for government bureaus and offices, including the provincial, city, and municipal governments, be fixed during the present emergency from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Provided, That, during the period or periods when the daylight saving time established by Proclamation No. 789, dated December 13, 1941, is operative, the office hours shall be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m."

It can be remembered that the Japanese invasion of the Philippines started on December 8, 1941, 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Manila was officially declared an open city and occupied by the Japanese on January 2, 1942.

Interestingly, the Philippines adopted Japan Standard Time from January 2, 1942, until February 1945, according to a tweet by Manuel L. Quezon III.

Proclamation No. 13 (1954), President Ramon Magsaysay

Like Quezon, who acted on the authority vested by Commonwealth Act No. 91 in relation to daylight saving time, former President Ramon Magsaysay proclaimed daylight saving time from April 12 to July 1, 1954. The measure was ordered so that "officers, employees, and laborers of the government may be afforded sunlight for work and recreation purposes after office hours, and to effect saving in the use of light both to the government and the general public."

Proclamation No. 1629 (1977), President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Once again, following the precedence of Commonwealth Act No. 91, former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.—who declared Martial Law in the Philippines on September 23, 1972—established a daylight saving time period from March 28 to June 7, 1977. The measure indicated, "in order to conserve power and energy during summer when day-time is longer than night-time, it is necessary to take advantage of the daylight by advancing by one hour the standard time fixed under said Act."

The Energy Conservation Movement of the Philippines was also ordered to "monitor the results of daylight saving time and recommend to the President such other measures as may be appropriate to generate maximum conservation in power and energy consumption."

The initial proclamation of daylight saving time was later extended to last until September 21, 1977. This was after "the period of its implementation the daylight saving time (DTS) was found beneficial for it enabled the nation to substantially conserve energy," Marcos said through Proclamation No. 1641.

National Emergency Memorandum Order No. 17 (1990), President Cory Aquino

Anyone who grew up in the '90s remembers that it was a time of rotational blackouts, hanging out outside in the afternoon because you can't watch TV, or lighting up candles in the dark of the night. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, mismanagement, high debts, and deteriorating services experienced in the '70s and '80s eventually caught up with the increasing public demand for electricity, resulting in frequent power outages in the '90s that would last for half a day or more. The Electric Power Crisis Act of 1993 was enacted to address the issues, and National Emergency Memorandum Order No. 17 was approved. It essentially directed the Office of Energy Affairs to issue guidelines and energy conservation measures, including the adoption of a daylight saving time effective May 21, 1990. This was lifted on July 28, 1990, through Executive Order No. 415.