The Department of Transportation and Communication - Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) - Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are implementing a regulation under the DOTC-DENR Joint Administrative Order No. 3 series of 2006, to inspect car aircon systems as a requirement for renewal and registration starting 2006.

All vehicles with model 1999 up to present should have HFC-134a (R-134a or non-CFC) airconditioning system. Any vehicles from among the said models found to have been converted back to Chlorofluorocarbon-12, also known as R-12 or Freon, system shall not be allowed to register or renew registration with LTO unless airconditioning system is changed back to non-CFC system.

CFC-12 or Freon, an ozone depleting substance, is widely used as cooling agent in car airconditioning. CFC-12 or Freon is set for total phase-out (zero importation) by year 2010 in the Philippines, being one of the 189 country signatories to the Montreal Protocol on the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

Vehicles with HFC-134a aircon system are restricted to convert back to Freon. This restriction is to discourage the practice of back-conversion or the charging of a non-CFC aircon system (R134a) with Freon, which is commonly practiced by vehicle owners to save on the cost of their refrigerant. It is also a way to encourage vehicle owners to use environmental-friendly refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC-134A or R-134A) and other blends.

Older models (1998 and below) with CFC-12 or Freon-using airconditioning system will still be allowed to register until the phase-out year of 2012. However, they may opt to retrofit their airconditioning system with alternative refrigerants, such HFC-134a, which is more ozone-friendly.

The LTO maintains a database to determine the volume of vehicles that uses CFC and non-CFC airconditioning system.

The phase-out of CFCs is also covered by DENR Administrative Order 2004-8 (Chemical Control Order [CCO] for Ozone-depleting Substances), under Republic Act 6969 (Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act). The CCO includes provisions against back conversion and venting, which is the intentional release of CFC when servicing air-conditioning systems.

For more information, please contact the DOTC-LTO at tel. no. 921-9072 or contact DENR-EMB Philippine Ozone Desk/National CFC Phase-out Plan -Project Management Unit at telephone numbers 928-4578 and telefax 426-4338.

Source: Philippine Ozone Desk