Upgraded MMDA 136 hotline vows swift response

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday intensified the promotion of its Metrobase 136 hotline, promising a five-minute response time for road emergencies on major thoroughfares.

MMDA general manager Nicolas Torre III said motorists can dial (02) 136 for immediate assistance with minor collisions, stalled vehicles, or other traffic-related incidents.

Torre said the upgraded system integrates faster coordination between field responders and operators at the MMDA command center in Pasig City.

Under the new protocol, Metrobase personnel will review and extract closed-circuit television footage of an incident while traffic enforcers are still en route.

To expedite clearing the road, Torre said officials would offer to send the CCTV clips directly to the involved parties via social media messaging.

“We will just ask for your social media account messaging so we can send that clip to you,” Torre said. “We want the road cleared within 10 minutes.”

The digital footage is intended to help parties determine liability and facilitate insurance claims, eliminating the need for prolonged roadside arguments that contribute to traffic congestion.

While the 136 hotline has been operational for years, Torre cited that the current push aims to improve public awareness of the service. He assured the public that a human operator will answer calls within five rings and that the agency currently has sufficient manpower to handle the volume of reports.