The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has called on provincial governors to purchase motorcycles for local police forces to enhance their response times to emergencies reported via the national 911 hotline. DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized the necessity of this initiative during the 7th General Assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines in Pasig City, highlighting that a significant portion of 911 calls are pranks, necessitating quick verification by police.
Remulla stressed that providing motorcycles to police is a modest investment that would prevent the squandering of government resources. He drew from his experience as the former governor of Cavite, where he facilitated the acquisition of 800 police cars to bolster emergency response capabilities. He assured that the national government would fund the rollout of the integrated 911 system nationwide, with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approving budget adjustments to support this effort.
The DILG chief also mentioned that local government units (LGUs) would receive firetrucks and ambulances to further improve emergency response. He underscored the importance of equipping LGUs to respond effectively, noting that without a prompt response, the 911 system would be ineffective. The integrated 911 emergency response system is set to be launched by June in key areas including Greater Manila, Cebu, and Mindanao.
The 911 system, which replaced the old Philippine emergency hotline 117 in 2016, handles a variety of emergency calls, including those requiring police, fire, medical, search and rescue, and responses to incidents involving hazardous materials.