THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday launched Unified 911, a single hotline that consolidates all local emergency numbers across the country.
Under the setup, all emergency calls — whether for police, fire, medical, or disaster response — will be routed through one integrated network connecting the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and local governments.
“We had 35 local government units with their own numbers, we had the Philippine National Police, we had the Bureau of Fire Protection. We have another 200 numbers, then we have 40,000 barangays, where constituents would first call the barangay captain before reaching the BFP, the PNP, or any other response center,” Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said at the launch.
“With the Philippines being a very complicated country, it became even more complicated with emergency response. Today, we have one number, and that is 911,” he said.
The main command center is currently in Sampaloc, Manila, but the government aims to establish at least eight more call centers within 120 days for faster response.
“This is Phase 1, 60 seats; eventually, there will be 240 seats across the country,” Remulla told reporters.
The new system includes a uniform push-to-talk radio network, expanded surveillance using unmanned aerial vehicles, and enhanced mobility with 500 vehicles and 2,000 motorcycles for emergency response.
The service is free, available 24/7, and language-inclusive, accommodating calls in Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Waray, Tausug, and other local languages. The target response time is five minutes, with trained call takers able to reassure callers in distress.
On its first full day of operations, Unified 911 received 58,000 calls, 60 percent of which were dismissed as prank calls.
“ If you were registered as a bogus caller, you will be placed in the least priority. If you call again, you will no longer be entertained. So, there’s really a disincentive for that. You might regret it in the end,” Remulla explained.
The government allocated P1.4 billion for the first phase of the project.
“Today, when they see their withholding tax in their salary (receipt) and they have an emergency, they will say, now I know where my money went. This is where their money went. We bidded this project without bidders,” Remulla said.
