Phl launches new code of practice to curb carbon footprint

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government launched today a new code of good practice for the refrigeration and airconditioning industry after the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and some other ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

The new Code of Practice (COP) for the refrigeration and air conditioning sector revises the original code crafted in 2002 to incorporate practices and technologies of the present time and help save the environment, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

According to DENR's Environment Management Bureau (EMB) Director Juan Miguel Cuna, the COP was revised to guide the affected sector on updated procedures and complement shifting technologies.

"It is time to upgrade procedures on refrigeration and air conditioning. With advancement in technology comes the need to introduce new practices that would enable us not only to protect but also to prevent damage to the environment," he stressed.

He said a core group of technical experts had been working on the revisions since mid-2012.

The revised COP includes topics on conversion of refrigerants and use of alternatives to CFCs and other ODS, as well as on handling, storage, recovery, recycling, collection, transport and disposal of refrigerants.

Meanwhile, Cuna advised the public to patronize products which have been certified CFC-free, as well as service shops, technicians, dealers and the like that are duly accredited by concerned agencies.

The Philippines has been implementing the total phase-out of ODS in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, including industrial, mobile and residential types, as part of its commitment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

As of 2010, the country has already completely phased out production and consumption of seven out of eight ODS, including CFCs which are widely used as refrigerants. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs, the last ODS in the list, will be phased out gradually starting this year and will be completely banned by 2040.  

Philippines' BOP surplus hits 452 mln USD in March

MANILA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines posted a balance of payments (BOP) surplus of $452 million in March, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the country reported Friday.

Data released by BSP showed that the surplus in last March was a reversal of previous year's $209 million BOP deficit.

For the first quarter of this year, the Southeast Asian nation had already recorded a surplus of $1.535 billion in terms of balance of payment, wider than last year's $1.243 billion in the same period of time, the central bank said.

The central bank earlier forecasted a $3-billion surplus of BOP this year, which is much lower than the $9.236-billion surplus recorded in the year of 2012 because the bank expected that the Philippines will import more semiconductor parts in 2013.