Preserving the ozone layer

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has declared the month of September of every year as the International Month for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This year, the theme is "Save Our Sky: Protect Yourself, Protect the Ozone Layer."

The DENR has lined up month long activities and culmination activities on Sept. 16, 2002, the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer in celebrating this important event.

One of them is the E-Poster Making Contest, a digital image art competition for the preservation of the ozone layer with the theme: "Preserve Life, Protect the Ozone Layer" the winners of which will be selected on Sept. 16. This contest is supported by Troika Press and the College Editors Guild of the Phils. The entries to this poster making contest as well as some ozone friendly products will be exhibited at the SM North EDSA from Sept. 17 to 21, 2002.

Other activities include the Launching of the Philippine Ozone Desk (POD) Website; conduct of lecture/forum on ozone layer with the Philippine Science High School Students; distribution on ozone month Commemorative T-shirts; distribution and posting of POD information, education, and communication materials nationwide; and posting of streamers/banners.

The activities for the ozone month are aimed among others, to increase awareness on the harmful effects that ozone depletion to all living forms i.e., cause of skin cancer, cataract, deteriorating immune system. Rapid aging, stagnant growth of crops and trees, and damage to marine species. They also highlight everybody can help save the ozone layer by stopping the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halons, and other Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS).

The country’s celebration of the Ozone month and all activities on the preservation and protection of ozone layer are being initiated and led by the EMB-POD. POD was created in support to the Philippine commitment to the Montreal Protocol on Substance that deplete the ozone layer when it signed on Sept. 1, 1988.

Ozone updates disclosed by POD revealed some interesting facts and events. Through its efforts coupled with the financial assistance from the Multilateral Fund for ODS phase-out projects and with the implementation of 48 investment and 15 non-investment projects, a total of 1,639.87 ODP MT of ODS were phased out in 2001. It must be stressed in this regard that the Philippines commitment to the Montreal Protocol is to phase-out ODS importation, specifically, 25 percent by year 2001, 50 percent by year 2005; 85 percent by year 2007; and 100 percent by year 2110.

According to POD, in order to met the country’s phase-out obligations as stipulated in the Montreal Protocol, the National CFC Phase-Out Plan (NCPP) has been prepared with funding coming from the World Bank and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The NCPP provides that CFC reduction and elimination programs need to be implemented immediately in both the manufacturing and service sectors. The final draft of the new NCPP was submitted to the Multilateral Fund Secretariat for review and approval on Aug. 27, 2002.

A shot in the arm in the efforts to regulate the entry of ODS in the country is the conduct of Training for Customs Officers and Other Stakeholders for the Government of the Philippines which was approved during the 35th Meeting of the executive committee of the Multilateral Fund. For this purpose, a MOA to Strengthen Inter-Customs was signed on July 24, 2002.