Just Dial ‘911’: ‘Dialect-Sensitive’ Emergency Response Now in More Areas Across PH

To ensure timely and dialect-sensitive emergency response in the regions, PLDT, through its corporate business arm, PLDT Enterprise, and ICT subsidiary, ePLDT, is boosting the government’s Unified 911 platform expansion across the country.

Following the establishment of the National Command Center in Manila and the Regional Command Center in Cebu last year, four new satellite command centers (SCCs) were recently launched in Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Iloilo, and Leyte, enabling faster emergency response to more provinces in Northern Luzon and the Visayas.

More SCCs are set to be launched in Cagayan de Oro and Maguindanao, according to Philippine National Police Chief Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., who represented Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla in the flagship launching ceremonies for the four SCCs in Leganes, Iloilo.

“When you dial 911 in Iloilo, the answer will be in Hiligaynon. If you are in Tacloban, the answer is Waray; in Ilocos, Ilocano. That is how advanced our response is, faster, understood, and felt by every Filipino who calls in distress,” Nartatez said.

Also at the event were Iloilo City Mayor Raisa S. Treñas, Leganes Mayor Vicente P. Jaen II, and New Lucena, Iloilo Mayor Carl Vincent Mondejar, Bureau of Fire Protection OIC Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan Tiu, PLDT executives led by PLDT Enterprise Head and ePLDT Chairman Blums S. Pineda and Public Engagement Group Head Roby Alampay, and Next Generation Advanced (NGA) CEO Ishka Villacisneros.

The three other SCCs--located in Batac, Cauayan, and Tacloban--joined the ceremonies held in Leganes, Iloilo, virtually to present their respective SCCs ’ capabilities and key milestones over the last couple of months.

Together, the 4 SCCs cover 20 provinces in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas regions with emergency hotline operators fluent in at least ten languages, including English, Tagalog, and their respective local languages.

With this system in place, callers from these regions will no longer be routed to Manila. They can speak naturally, be understood directly, and get responders dispatched faster and more accurately.

“The launch of the dialect-sensitive Unified 911 satellite command centers is a critical step toward more responsive, inclusive, and resilient emergency services,” Pineda said, underscoring PLDT Enterprise’s commitment to help ensure that reliable connectivity and secure digital solutions are in place, especially for the SCCs in the regions. “We believe that technology, combined with local language and local knowledge, can further empower our responders to act faster and serve our communities better.”

Launched in September 2025 by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), in partnership with PLDT, PLDT Enterprise, and ePLDT, Next Generation Advanced (NGA), and Next Generation Core Services (NGCS Inc.), the Unified 911 system integrates police, fire, medical, and rescue services into a centralized, technology-enabled platform linking national agencies with LGUs.

The Unified 911 system features multiple reporting channels and platforms, live video streaming, and centralized data reporting, hosted on ePLDT’s Pilipinas Cloud. Among others, it also features GPS-based location tracking of callers and responders as well as geo-fencing, helping enable faster and more coordinated emergency response.

PLDT’s support for the continued expansion of the Unified 911 system is aligned with the government’s broader efforts to modernize emergency response operations across the Philippines and contributes to PLDT’s mission to help the nation build resilient communities, protect lives through technology, and promote disaster risk reduction via robust digital infrastructure and capacity-building programs.