A total of 1,316 emergency calls were received by the “Emergency 911 National Call Center (NCC)’’ at the height of the week-long Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante and Emong in Luzon, he Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) disclosed on Wednesday, July 30.

From July 21 to 25, the NCC received and coordinated 183 calls requesting police assistance, 351 search and rescue operations, 448 medical emergencies, 334 incidents involving fire suppression, Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), and other urgent concerns.

The DILG noted that the verified calls were swiftly coordinated with local government units (LGUs) and rescue volunteers to ensure immediate response and on-ground deployment.

Among the notable rescue efforts were the evacuation of five individuals, including two minors, from chest-deep floodwaters in Barangay Herrero, Dagupan City; assistance to trapped  residents in Barangay Poblacion, Camiling, Tarlac;  the rescue of stranded families in Barangay San Jose, Navotas City; and the safe evacuation of elementary students from Villamor Elementary School, Pasay City, led by Barangay 183 responders and the Philippine Air Force.

“The Emergency 911 hotline continues to earn praise from netizens for the swift and coordinated response of local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and dedicated barangay and community volunteers,’’ the DILG said.

Despite regular advisories, the DILG stated that the NCC recorded 16,951 prank and fraudulent calls, which remain a serious challenge to emergency operations.

In response to growing demands and the need for faster coordination, the DILG is set to launch a modernized, fully integrated nationwide 911 system with enhanced features aimed at improving emergency response times, interoperability, and public safety on Sept. 15.

“Makakaasa kayo na pagdating ng Setyembre, magkakaroon na tayo ng unified 911 system na covered ang buong bansa (You are assured that come Sept. the unified 911 system will cover the whole country),’’ Juanito Victor “Jonvic’’ Remulla said.

Remulla bared that the system guarantees a five-minute response time from key agencies including the PNP and the BFP. 

“Five minutes ang response time, guaranteed ng PNP, BFP, para sa ambulansya, fire trucks, at mga pulis (The response time is five minutes, the PNP, BFP guaranteed that, for ambulance, fire trucks and police response),’’ he emphasized.

Remulla explained that the DILG serves as the country’s primary emergency response department, coordinating police, fire, and other units nationwide. 

Remulla pointed out that a notable feature of the new unified 911 system is its regional language support, allowing callers to report emergencies in their native dialects. 

“We take the sensitivities in hand. We make sure that in every household, the best way to communicate is through your native language, your mother tongue,” Remulla assured.

Remulla also underscored the importance of a unified, whole-of-nation approach in the declaration of work and class suspensions during emergencies.  

While many local governments act promptly, Remulla revealed that some delays have led the government to authorize the DILG  in issuing suspension announcements.

Because of this new authority,  Remulla disclosed that the department’s followers on social media increased to 1.2 million, reflecting public demand for timely and reliable information.