VATIS UPDATE Article

The Philippines has achieved a milestone by complying with a 10% target reduction in the import of HCFCs and ODSs, this year. At the closing ceremony of the HCFC-141b Phase-out in the Foam Sector Project in the Philippines, Eva Ocfemia, at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said, “For 27 years, our country has been working very hard to cooperate with the international community to implement national programs for phasing out ODS to protect the ozone layer.”

The DENR through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has already completed the phase-out of five of the six groups of ODSs namely: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride (CTC), methyl chloroform and methyl bromide (nonquarantine pre-shipment or non-QPS). The remaining group of the ODS to be phased out is hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs.

The implementation of the HCFC-141b Phase-out in the Foam Sector Project is funded by the Multilateral Fund (MLF) with UNEP with technical assistance from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). In the course of the project implementation, 18 companies were supported to shift their foam production from ODS-based to non-ODS-based technology. Likewise, all project beneficiaries opted for Zero-Ozone Depleting Potential (0-ODP) and Low-Global Warming Potential (low-GWP) alternatives.