REVISITING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY 911 SYSTEM

REVISITING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY 911 SYSTEM

It’s a good thing the Marcos administration is now trying to fix what has long been a broken yet vital public service: the National Emergency 911 System. While former President Rodrigo Duterte made the first serious attempt to unify and modernize our emergency hotline, technical issues and institutional resistance held it back. That said, it now appears the Marcos administration is finally addressing many of those lingering problems—though some challenges remain.

I speak not only as a concerned citizen but as someone who has personally called 911 several times—not to prank or dramatize, but to test the system and understand how it truly functions. Let me share some observations.

First, unlike in other countries, the first voice you hear when you call 911 in the Philippines is not a human, but a robot. Yes, a voice prompt that instructs you to press:

·       1 for police assistance,

·       2 for the fire department,

·       3 for medical emergencies.

Only after pressing a number will a live operator come on the line and ask the familiar, “What is your emergency?” In other countries, especially those with advanced emergency systems, the first to answer a call is always a human being—trained to be calm, to assess the situation, and to immediately act on the call. Robots may have their place of course, but in a life-or-death situation, human judgment must come first.

Interestingly, after speaking with a few 911 operators, I discovered that regardless of which number you press, the call eventually goes back to the same group of live operators. That’s because these people are not actual dispatchers, but merely telephone operators who relay your call to the nearest police, fire, or ambulance provider.

This might sound like a small technicality, but it’s a critical flaw. Around the world, standard 911 protocol dictates that the first responder on the call also serves as the dispatcher, managing the case from beginning to end. That’s how you ensure continuity, accountability, and faster decision-making. Unfortunately, our current system breaks that chain.

This isn’t my first time evaluating 911. I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it has been to integrate legacy numbers like 117 into the unified system. Despite Executive Order No. 56 signed by President Duterte in 2018—officially designating 911 as the national emergency number—some agencies simply refused to integrate. Why? Turf wars, internal resistance, and a lack of political will.

That’s why I was relieved to hear the newly appointed PNP Chief, General Nicolas Torre III, say that 117 will remain as an internal system, while full support will be given to 911 as the national emergency number. This long-overdue alignment could finally pave the way for a truly unified system.

I also commend DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who appears to be taking a hands-on approach to this project. One major improvement under his watch is that 911 can now be called from any mobile phone without entering a local area code—a basic but crucial functionality. Even more impressive, all 911 calls are now free of charge, a rare policy considering that many countries bill callers through their telecom providers. This is a bold move, and I salute Remulla and Torre for making it happen.

But even with all these gains, the biggest unresolved issue remains: ambulance dispatch.

Unfortunately, neither Secretary Remulla nor General Torre has jurisdiction over this. Most ambulances are controlled locally—by city mayors, local disaster risk offices, or public hospitals. And that creates a fragmented, inconsistent response system.

To make matters worse, many ambulances lack trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or licensed paramedics. They’re simply vehicles, not fully equipped mobile ERs. And even when private ambulances are called in, somebody must pay. Government ambulances are free, but private units may charge ₱5,000 to ₱12,000 or even more depending on the distance.

In an emergency, the last thing a family should worry about is money. That’s why I sincerely hope Secretary Remulla or General Torre could help craft a policy or subsidy that would make all ambulances—public or private—free at the point of need.

As the Unified 911 Emergency System rolls out across Metro Manila, BARMM, Ilocos Region, and Central Visayas, there’s reason to be hopeful. The plan includes real-time video streaming, geolocation tracking, and even automatic dispatch of the nearest responders. The goal? A five-minute response time—a true game-changer if implemented correctly.

They are also tackling the plague of prank calls with smart filtering systems and legal consequences for offenders. Repeat prank callers will be tagged, tracked, and potentially prosecuted. These are bold, tech-forward solutions.

But at the heart of it all, the system must be human-centric. Robots and software can help, but they should never replace the first human contact that can save a life.

The potential is all here. The tools are being built. The question now is: Will we follow through?

Let’s not wait for another crisis to find out.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com,  09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

07-12-2025