Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla has called on provincial governors to acquire motorcycles for their local police forces to verify the legitimacy of emergency hotline calls.
The request followed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen the country’s 911 system.
Speaking at the 7th General Assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines in Pasig City, Remulla emphasized the need for governors’ support in making the emergency response system more efficient.
He noted that around 60 percent of calls to 911 are prank calls, leading to wasted government resources.
He urged local officials to invest in motorcycles for police officers, allowing them to quickly assess whether an emergency call is legitimate before deploying further resources.
Remulla described the investment as minimal but crucial to preventing unnecessary responses to false alarms.
Drawing from his experience as Cavite governor, he shared that he had acquired 800 police vehicles during his tenure to improve law enforcement’s response time.
He assured the governors that the national government would cover all expenses related to launching the integrated 911 system, with adjustments already made in the national budget.
He added that local government units would also be equipped with fire trucks and ambulances to ensure rapid response to real emergencies.
The DILG aims to roll out the integrated 911 Emergency Response system by June, starting in the Greater Manila Area, Cebu and Mindanao, with implementation expanding to other regions in the following months.