Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano on Wednesday led the turnover of 73 new motorcycles for the Unified 911 emergency response system at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

The motorcycles were distributed to police districts and stations across Metro Manila and will complement existing police response vehicles, particularly in responding to urgent calls received through the 911 emergency hotline.

“9-1-1 kasi, unified na yan sa buong Pilipinas eh. Iisa lang numero ang kailangan tawagan. So ang response time kasi, napaka-importante. Eh dito sa Metro Manila, sa sikip ng kalye at sa traffic, ang police cars not as effective as motorcycles. So instead na spending 10 times more on a police car, we decided to invest in motorcycles itong mga scooters na makaka-responde kagad sa mga tao,” Remulla told reporters.

Of the 73 motorcycles, 18 each were allocated to the Manila Police District and Southern Police District, while 13 went to the Quezon City Police District.

The Eastern Police District received 24 units, with 14 assigned to Taguig and 10 to Pasig.

“Dahil itong holiday season na parating na, kailangan ng police natin mas alerto at may gana at may lakas, may pwersa na para pag-responde sa mga tawag,” Remulla said.

He said a similar distribution had already been conducted in Western Visayas and expressed hope that more motorcycles would be deployed nationwide every year.

“Taon-taon madadagdag yan para sa response. Every year itong fleeting program, refleeting program ng buong PNP ay every year na, naka-program na kami dito for the next 5 years. Sana na lang, yung program na yan, sundan ng susunod, yung papalit sa akin, sana sundan na lahat ng mga ginawa namin para yung programa ay tuloy-tuloy na,” Remulla said.

Abrahano said the additional motorcycles would allow police responders to reach emergencies faster, particularly in areas where heavy traffic and congested roads can delay conventional patrol vehicles.

“Every second matters during an emergency. These additional motorcycles will give our responders greater mobility and allow them to reach people in distress as quickly as possible,” Abrahano said.

“When the public calls 911, we want our response to be fast, coordinated, and reliable. These motorcycles will help us navigate traffic and bring police assistance closer to the community,” he added.

Abrahano also urged callers to “stay calm, provide the correct details, and follow the instructions of our emergency responders.”