THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday, Mar. 17, said the country’s modernized Unified 911 system can now detect and filter AI-generated and automated prank calls, strengthening the government’s ability to respond quickly to real-time emergencies.
The enhanced capability helps ensure that emergency operators and responders can focus on people who actually need urgent assistance.
Emergency 911 National Office Executive Director Francis Fajardo said the upgraded system can now recognize patterns linked to AI-generated calls and “robo-dialing” for prank or misleading reports.
“Someone reached me who reported that it was AI-generated. Now, with Unified 911 with our modernized system, we can filter those robo-calls that are AI-generated,” Fajardo said during the DILG Kapihan.
“Because we have in our system that we can validate if it is AI-generated. In the system, we can already see that,” he added.
Although data from the National Call Center showed that prank and abandoned calls dropped by 98.3 percent since the modernized system was launched in September last year, suspicious or non-emergency calls still consume valuable system capacity and may delay assistance to legitimate callers in distress.
The DILG said prank and automated calls can clog emergency lines and delay response to real incidents such as accidents, crimes, fires, and medical emergencies.
To protect the hotline’s capacity, the system now tracks numbers that repeatedly place suspicious or non-emergency calls.
Numbers that show a pattern of prank reporting are automatically assigned lower priority, allowing operators to prioritize verified emergencies.
The Department reminded the public that every unnecessary call to 911 risks delaying help for someone whose life may truly be on the line.
“Let’s avoid calling if it’s not an emergency. By the time you need help, you might not be answered right away,” Fajardo said.
The DILG reiterated that Unified 911 is strictly for emergencies and urged the public to help protect the system by using the hotline responsibly so responders can reach those in danger without delay.
