Bureau of Customs (BOC), through the Enforcement and Security Service-Environmental Protection and Compliance Division (ESS-EPCD), officially receives five units of multi-refrigerant identifier equipment donated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), in a turn over ceremony on May 5, 2022.

The donation of the Neutronics Ultima ID Refrigerant Analyzer is pursuant to the implementation of the Philippines HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage II Project.

The new addition to the Bureau’s arsenal of enforcement assets shall boost the agency’s capabilities in monitoring and inspecting refrigerant shipments. The equipment shall be used by customs officers in detecting adulterated refrigerants in shipments and shall prevent its proliferation in the market.

The equipment will be deployed to the EPCD Central Office, Manila International Container Port, Port of Manila, Port of Cebu, and Port of Davao.

Present during the turn over ceremony were Engr. Marcelino N. Rivera, Chief of EMB-Environmental Quality Management Division, and Bellrose Buraga, HPMP Project Coordinator of UNIDO. For BOC’s part, Raniel T. Ramiro, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence Group, Yogi Filemon L. Ruiz, Director of ESS, Paul Ditona and Jonathan Belmonte, Chief and Team Leader of EPCD, respectively, and other customs officials graced the event.

In his message, Deputy Commissioner Ramiro expressed his gratitude to the UNIDO and DENR-EMB for their unwavering support to the BOC in the fulfillment of its mandates. He also assured that BOC shall continue to work closely with its partner agencies in safeguarding the interest of the public by preventing the entry of toxic substances contributing to ozone depletion, climate change and global warming.