HOTLINE 911. A meme posted by the Philippine National Police in its official social media page promotes the Nationwide Emergency Hotline 911. Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes on Tuesday (Oct. 22, 201) said he wants the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to review the current call format of the national emergency hotline 911 which has a delayed response time. (Screencap from the Philippine National Police Facebook page)
CEBU CITY – Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes on Tuesday said he will seek a review of the national emergency hotline “911”.
He said he will request the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to study the existing format of the hotline, noting that the response time has been affected by a delay in linking with the authorities concerned in times of emergencies.
Cortes made this observation after the robbery incident victimizing five establishments inside the J Centre Mall on A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City last Saturday.
He stressed the need for big establishments such as malls to adopt a hotline with a direct connection to the local police for immediate response.
“Kay ang nahitabo man gud, usually kun dunay tawag ilabay sa national (What happened, usually if there is a call it will be forwarded to the national) so it will take time kay from national mobalik na ngari (because from the national, it will be redirected back here),” the mayor said in a radio interview.
“What I want is to have a localized emergency hotline. I will ask the proper agency to rectify the problem so that we will have a 911 with a shortened response time,” he said.
In June 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 56 institutionalizing the “911” national emergency hotline number to replace the Patrol 117 Hotline Network.
The aim of adopting a single hotline number which the people can call during emergency situations is to conform with international standards on emergency numbers that can be dialed via public telecommunication networks.
Under EO 56, the DILG is assigned to direct a newly-created “Emergency 911 National Hotline Public Safety Answering Center” or simply the National Call Center, whose operators are in Manila.
Local government units are, however, directed to adopt their own local 911 but using their own funds. (PNA)
