BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) is receiving as many as 50 prank calls daily through the city’s localized 911 emergency hotline, prompting officials to warn that the misuse of emergency lines could delay life-saving assistance.
Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, city disaster risk reduction and management officer, said the hotline receives an average of 261 calls daily, a significant portion of which are prank calls.
Some callers repeatedly dial the hotline without reporting an emergency, while others remain silent when their calls are answered, occupying lines that should be available to people in urgent need of assistance, Pornan said.
Certain telephone numbers have reportedly made more than 20 calls in a single day without any emergency to report.
In some cases, children were identified as prank callers, prompting police personnel to visit their locations and discover that the calls were made as a joke.
Pornan said the DRRMO has observed that the same telephone numbers frequently make repeated prank calls. The office may refer numbers associated with persistent misuse to the National Telecommunications Commission for appropriate action, including possible blocking.
However, she cautioned that silent calls cannot automatically be dismissed as pranks because some callers may be unable to speak while experiencing an emergency. Emergency personnel must therefore carefully assess such calls before determining the appropriate response.
Four personnel are assigned to handle incoming calls, with police officers and Bureau of Fire Protection personnel also working alongside the emergency response team.
When the city’s hotline becomes congested, calls may be answered by other emergency response centers, including those serving neighboring local government units and the provincial government.
Pornan appealed to residents to use 911 responsibly and reserve it for situations requiring immediate emergency assistance.
For non-emergency concerns, such as garbage collection, water services and other city-related matters, residents may contact the city government’s hotline at 479-6100 instead of occupying emergency lines.
She warned that prank calls are not merely an inconvenience to emergency personnel but can also have serious consequences for people facing life-threatening situations.
When emergency lines are tied up by unnecessary calls, people seeking urgent medical assistance or reporting dangerous incidents may experience delays in reaching responders. Such delays could prove fatal for patients requiring immediate treatment or individuals caught in emergencies, she said.
The appeal comes as Bacolod strengthens its emergency response system through the localized 911 hotline, launched in August 2026 to provide residents with faster access to emergency services, including police, fire and other response teams.
Pornan stressed that the effectiveness of the system depends not only on available personnel and equipment but also on public cooperation.
She urged parents and guardians to teach children about the proper use of emergency hotlines and the possible consequences of making prank calls.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod 911 operations center will eventually be transferred to the city’s Command Center in Barangay Taculing once construction of the facility is completed.
For now, operations are being conducted at the evacuation center adjacent to the command center.
Pornan said responsible use of the hotline would help keep communication lines open and ensure that emergency responders can prioritize calls requiring immediate attention./PN
