The Philippines’ soon-to-be-launched Unified 911 Emergency System will feature a dedicated help desk for mental health concerns, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced Tuesday.

Remulla disclosed that trained professionals from the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) will provide psychosocial support through the new service.

“We will have counselors available for our youth, or for anyone who feels they need to talk to someone; they can call and someone will respond,” Remulla said.

One desk within the 911 command center will be specifically designated for mental health intervention. Remulla anticipates that approximately 2 percent of the estimated 50,000 daily calls to the system could be related to mental health.

In addition to mental health support, the 911 system will handle reports on crime, health emergencies, fire incidents, and other suspicious activities.

The DILG chief also cited that the government plans to invest in new communication equipment, police vehicles, and fire trucks to enhance the response time of first responders.

Remulla expects a full nationwide rollout of the system by August or September of this year.

He also explained that existing local emergency hubs will be integrated to ensure efficient dispatch, turning local government units into dispatch centers once the system is operational.