MANILA – Hotline 911, the government’s national emergency hotline, received a total of 4,539,014 calls nationwide from January to December last year, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael ‘Mike’ D. Sueno.
Sueno said the number of calls peaked in August 2016 after 911 was officially launched as the new national emergency hotline in place of 117.
“At that time, Hotline 911 received an average of 30,000 to 35,000 calls per day,” he said.
Sueno said the implementation of Hotline 911, patterned after Davao City’s Project 911, is part of the commitment of the President to make the government easily accessible to the public, particularly during times of emergencies.
“Through Hotline 911, we are helping the President fulfill that commitment as we are tapping the assistance of our huge network of first responders to lend a helping hand to people who are in emergency situations,” he said.
Among the major responders of Hotline 911 are: the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Sueno said that of the over four million calls, 2,239,987 or 49% were legitimate calls, 36% or 1,638,551 were incomplete calls, and 15% or 660,476 were illegitimate calls.
“We are appealing to the public not to abuse or misuse 911. Each call is very important because someone who is facing a life and death situation might be on the other side of the line asking for our help,” Sueno said.
Sueno said Hotline 911’s work is very important as taking in calls and responding to high risk incidents pave the way to successful rescues which, in the end, save lives.
He narrated of one particular incident on January 17, 2017, when Hotline 911 received a telephone call from Ret. Police Major Albert Juan who reported of a sinking cargo vessel headed towards Tacloban City where one of the passengers is his neighbor, Jose Sablante, Jr.
The report was immediately coordinated by the 911 operator to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Command Center which related the incident to PCG District Eastern Visayas for appropriate action.
Four vessels were immediately deployed by Eastern Visayas PCG to the area which led to the rescue of 28 M/V Meridian Tres crew members including Sablante.
“These stories inspire our people in Hotline 911 to be more dedicated and committed because they are doing a great service to our people,” he said. (DILG/RJB/JCP/PIA-NCR)