Manila: The Philippine government launched Thursday the unified 911 emergency hotline that would provide faster and more coordinated responses to emergencies nationwide. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the hotline, which replaces multiple local emergency numbers, would serve as the central point of contact for police, fire, medical, and disaster response services.

According to Philippines News Agency, Remulla highlighted the complexity of the previous system, with 35 local government units having their own numbers, alongside the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and other response centers. The new hotline aims to streamline this process with a single, toll-free number accessible from both landlines and mobile phones across urban and rural communities. The initial phase of the program will expand to include about 240 operators in the next 120 days.

Remulla cautioned against prank calls, stating that numbers of bogus callers will be blocked, potentially jeopardizing their ability to receive emergency assistance in the future. The unified 911 is a collaborative effort between the DILG, BFP, PLDT Inc., and NGA 911 Philippines, introducing next-generation emergency communication technology with GPS-based location tracking and internet protocol for voice, text, and video transmission, enhancing situational awareness.

Don Ferguson, co-founder and CEO of NGA 911 LLC, expressed that the system will help save more lives and empower communities with its advanced features. PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. emphasized that having a single hotline eliminates public confusion and saves time, ensuring immediate assistance wherever needed in the country.