The Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau, through the Business Licensing and Accreditation Division (FTEB-BLAD), accredits service and repair enterprises including those that repair, service, install, and maintain refrigerator and air conditioning units, whether for household, commercial or mobile (motor vehicle) purposes.
Department Administrative Order 3, s. 2006 requires these shops to have refrigerant recovery machine to use in recovering refrigerants in air conditioning units to prevent the refrigerant from venting to the air while being serviced or repaired. They are also required to have non-disposable refrigerant cylinders/tanks, one for each type of refrigerant to store the recovered refrigerants.
Refrigerants are known for having harmful effect on the environment since they have global warming and ozone depletion potentials. For this, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has a program in the collection of recovered refrigerants for proper disposal.
Service and repair enterprises are also required to have technicians trained and certified by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and to submit copies of the relevant and valid Tesda certificates as part of the accreditation requirements.
FTEB-BLAD conducts validation inspection in the shop’s premises to verify the application and to check the required tools and equipment including the recovery machine. In 2019, the result of inspection showed that several shops were found without recovery machines, and as such were endorsed to the FTEB Enforcement Division for issuance of notice of violation and filing of formal charge.
“We remind all ref and air-conditioning service and repair enterprises to submit proof of acquisition and a photo of their recovery machine as evidence that they own or lease the said equipment. New applicants, however, are to be inspected to ensure and validate the presence of recovery machines in their shop,” DTI-FTEB Director Ronnel O. Abrenica said. – Press release
