The Philippines uses Philippine Standard Time at UTC+8 throughout the year and does not observe daylight saving. That makes it identical to Australian Western Standard Time (AWST), but two or three hours behind eastern Australia depending on location and season.
Core offsets
| Australian setting | UTC offset | Difference from Philippines | Australian 9:00 am in Manila |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth / AWST | UTC+8 | Same time | 9:00 am |
| Brisbane / AEST | UTC+10 | Philippines 2 hours behind | 7:00 am |
| Sydney or Melbourne / AEST | UTC+10 | Philippines 2 hours behind | 7:00 am |
| Sydney or Melbourne / AEDT | UTC+11 | Philippines 3 hours behind | 6:00 am |
| Darwin / ACST | UTC+9:30 | Philippines 1.5 hours behind | 7:30 am |
| Adelaide / ACDT | UTC+10:30 | Philippines 2.5 hours behind | 6:30 am |
Why AEST and AEDT are often confused
Queensland remains on AEST. New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory generally move to AEDT during daylight saving. South Australia moves between ACST and ACDT; the Northern Territory stays on ACST. Current Australian rules should be checked each year.
In Victoria, daylight saving generally begins at 2:00 am on the first Sunday in October and ends at 3:00 am daylight time on the first Sunday in April. That one-hour change can move a Philippine employee’s local start if the client promises fixed eastern-Australian hours.
Three sensible scheduling models
1. Fixed Australian client hours
The Philippine schedule shifts when daylight saving changes. This preserves the client’s local coverage but can create a 6:00 am Manila start for 9:00 am AEDT.
2. Fixed Philippine hours
The employee keeps a stable local schedule and the Australian overlap changes seasonally. This may be better for wellbeing where full-day eastern-Australian coverage is unnecessary.
3. Agreed overlap hours
Both teams protect a set collaboration window and complete focused work outside it. This can reduce early starts while preserving review and handover time.
Put time-zone expectations in writing
- Name the time zone, not just “9 to 5”.
- State whether the Philippine schedule changes with AEDT.
- List public-holiday calendars and the approval process for exceptions.
- Plan recurring meetings that do not consume the entire overlap.
- Reconfirm schedules before each daylight-saving transition.
Official references
- Fair Work Ombudsman: daylight saving and employee hours
- Business Victoria: daylight saving dates and settings
- PAGASA: Philippine Standard Time information
Jade agrees working hours for each role. The best pattern considers client coverage, employee wellbeing, handovers, Australian daylight saving and the actual need for synchronous work.