You’re in Dubai. It’s 9 am. Your Filipino remote worker? It’s 1 pm for them.
GST is 4 hours behind Philippine Time, so add 4 hours to convert GST to PHT.
That’s the GST to PHT difference in a nutshell.
Philippine Time runs 4 hours ahead of Gulf Standard Time. Always. And because neither region observes daylight saving time, that gap never changes.
What Is the Time Difference Between GST and Philippine Time?
Gulf Standard Time (GST) is UTC+4. Philippine Time (PHT) is UTC+8.
That’s a 4-hour difference. PHT is always ahead.
No seasonal shifts. No spring forward, no fall back. The same offset on January 1st as on July 1st.
Common GST to PHT Examples
Here are a few conversions you’ll use most:
- 6:00 AM GST = 10:00 AM PHT
- 8:00 AM GST = 12:00 PM PHT
- 9:00 AM GST = 1:00 PM PHT
- 12:00 PM GST = 4:00 PM PHT
- 5:00 PM GST = 9:00 PM PHT
The rule is simple. Add 4 hours to whatever time it is in the Gulf, and you have Philippine Time.
GST to Philippine Time Conversion Table
Here’s the full 24-hour breakdown:
| Gulf Standard Time (GST) | Philippine Time (PHT) |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM (Midnight) | 4:00 AM |
| 1:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 2:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 3:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 4:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 5:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM (Noon) |
| 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| 10:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
| 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| 12:00 PM (Noon) | 4:00 PM |
| 1:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 4:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 7:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 8:00 PM | 12:00 AM (Midnight) |
| 9:00 PM | 1:00 AM |
| 10:00 PM | 2:00 AM |
| 11:00 PM | 3:00 AM |
How to Convert Philippine Time Back to GST
Going the other direction is just as simple.
Subtract 4 hours from Philippine Time to get Gulf Standard Time.
- 8:00 AM PHT = 4:00 AM GST
- 12:00 PM PHT = 8:00 AM GST
- 5:00 PM PHT = 1:00 PM GST
- 9:00 PM PHT = 5:00 PM GST
Bookmark this page. You’ll use it more than you think.
Does Daylight Saving Affect GST to PHT?
No. And that’s one of the better things about this particular time zone pairing.
Neither the Gulf region nor the Philippines observes daylight saving time. The 4-hour difference is fixed year-round.
| Gulf Standard Time (GST) | Philippine Time (PHT) | |
|---|---|---|
| UTC offset | UTC+4 | UTC+8 |
| DST observed | No | No |
| Difference | Always 4 hours | Always 4 hours |
If you’ve worked with team members in the US, UK, or Australia, you already know the headache of a time difference that shifts twice a year. GST to PHT doesn’t have that problem.
The conversion table above stays accurate every single day of the year.
Best Overlap Hours Between GST and Philippine Time
Not every remote working relationship requires real-time meetings.
A lot of teams run well on async. Messages, task updates, detailed handoffs. They rarely need to be online at the same time.
But when you do need overlap, the window is generous.
8 am to 2 pm GST is the sweet spot.
During those hours, it’s 12 pm to 6 pm in the Philippines. Your worker is in their afternoon block, past lunch, and fully available. That’s 6 solid hours of potential meeting time.
Compare that to US-based employers, who often face a 12 to 13-hour gap with Filipino workers. Gulf-based employers are in a genuinely good position here.
If you want a deeper breakdown of how to structure schedules around this, this guide on working with Filipino remote workers across time zones covers the practical side in more detail.
How to Work Across GST and PHT Long Term
The math is easy. The habits around it take a little more intention.
Start with a trial period. You might assume you need daily calls. After two weeks, three times a week feels like plenty. Or you realize async works even better and meetings are mostly for check-ins.
Ask early. “Is this schedule working for you?” is one of the most useful questions you can ask a remote worker. The employers who get consistent, long-term results aren’t the ones who mapped out the perfect system from day one. They’re the ones who stayed flexible and communicated openly.
Also worth noting: a remote worker in the Philippines who starts at 8 am PHT is showing up at 4 am GST on the other end. If you need a later schedule overlap, build it into your agreement upfront rather than assuming availability.
For guidance on timing your hire and setting expectations from the start, this breakdown of the best time to hire Filipino remote workers is a good reference.
Hiring Filipino Remote Workers Across GST and PHT
The Gulf region is one of the more practical bases for managing Filipino remote workers. The 4-hour gap means your mornings and their afternoons line up cleanly.
If you’re actively building a remote team, platforms like HireTalent.ph let you search for talent by skills and availability, verify profiles, and run trial tasks before committing to a hire — which makes the early setup smoother.
You might also find these useful as you compare time zones across regions:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gulf Standard Time in the Philippines?
Gulf Standard Time (GST) is UTC+4. The Philippines runs on Philippine Time (PHT), which is UTC+8. When it is any given time in the Gulf, it is 4 hours later in the Philippines. For example, 9:00 AM GST is 1:00 PM PHT.
How do you convert GST to Philippine time?
Add 4 hours to your Gulf Standard Time to get Philippine Time. If it is 10:00 AM in Dubai, it is 2:00 PM in Manila. The formula works the same every day of the year because neither region observes daylight saving time.
What is 8 AM GST in Philippine time?
8:00 AM Gulf Standard Time is 12:00 PM (noon) Philippine Time. This is one of the most common conversions for Gulf-based employers scheduling morning meetings with Filipino remote workers.
Does GST use daylight saving time?
No. Gulf Standard Time does not observe daylight saving time. Neither does Philippine Time. The 4-hour difference between GST and PHT remains constant throughout the entire year, which makes scheduling straightforward and consistent.
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