ILOILO CITY – Emergency callers in Western Visayas can now seek immediate assistance in Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a through a newly launched Unified 911 Satellite Command Center.
Authorities are moving to eliminate language barriers that have long hampered emergency response and delayed lifesaving interventions in the regions.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) formally launched four Unified 911 Satellite Command Centers on June 3, expanding the country’s emergency communications network and allowing callers to report emergencies in their native languages rather than relying solely on Manila-based operators.
The initiative, part of the Modernized and Integrated Philippine Emergency Report Handling Response System or Unified 911, is designed to improve response times and ensure that critical information is accurately relayed during emergencies.
“Before modernization, only less than half of all 911 calls were being answered. A caller speaking Waray, Ilocano, or Hiligaynon could not always communicate the nature of their emergency to a Manila-based operator, a gap that costs time, and time costs lives,” according to the DILG.
The newly activated command centers will serve regions 1, 2, 6, and 8. The Region 6 facility is capable of handling emergency calls in Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Tagalog and English.
The centers are fully integrated with the national command system and can transmit real-time information to responders, including GPS geolocation data, incident reports and live video feeds.
Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., who led the ceremonial launch, said the enhanced system allows authorities to quickly identify the location of callers and dispatch the nearest emergency units.
He also warned the public against abusing the emergency hotline through prank calls.
“If a caller repeatedly makes prank calls, the system can block the number. We can identify who is calling, their number, and even pinpoint their location within a meter through the system’s capabilities,” Nartatez said.
The Unified 911 system was established under Executive Order No. 56, series of 2018, replacing more than 200 separate local emergency hotlines with a single nationwide, free and round-the-clock emergency number that connects callers to police, fire, medical and rescue services.
Officials said the latest expansion represents another major step toward a fully integrated emergency response network, allowing Filipinos to seek help in the language they are most comfortable using while enabling responders to act more swiftly during life-threatening situations./PN
