QC barangays join anti-freon drive

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has mobilized the city’s 142 barangays to help pinpoint air-conditioning and refrigeration shops, which have yet to comply with the prohibition against the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) like freon.

"The barangays must also help in this effort, not to punish those refrigeration shops, but to persuade owners to avail themselves of government assistance," he said.

Under a World Bank-assisted Voucher System grants scheme, owners and operators of air-conditioning and refrigeration shops are awarded financial assistance for the purchase of equipment and tools so they can observe environment-friendly servicing practices. There are about 700 such shops in Quezon City.

"Everyone of us must do our part in preserving the ozone layer," Belmonte said.

The mayor joined Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio and other officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in awarding vouchers worth almost P100,000 each to 132 shop owners and operators in the city.

Quezon City is the first local government unit to benefit from the World Bank-funded grants programs being implemented by the DENR.

Regional Director Arnulfo Hernandez of the Environment Management Bureau-NCR said the total amount of the grants for 132 awardees was P13.2 million. The grants were for shop equipment for environment-friendly servicing.

Tools and equipment for the grant awardees include a portable leak detector, a recovery and recycling machine including a recovery cylinder, vacuum pump, vacuum meter and nitrogen regulator.