Western Visayas boosts Unified 911 awareness drive
Juan Jovian Ingeniero, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Western Visayas, places a Unified 911 sticker on a DILG-issued vehicle during a regional awareness campaign at the Police Regional Office 6 headquarters in Camp Martin Delgado, Iloilo City, on Aug. 14. Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño, PRO-6 regional director, joins him. Participants also signed a pledge to support a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to peace and order, public safety, emergency preparedness and disaster resilience.
By Jennifer P. Rendon
By Jennifer P. Rendon
ILOILO CITY — Government agencies in Western Visayas have pledged to actively promote the Unified 911 national emergency hotline to ensure fast, free and centralized crisis response across the region.
Representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Region 6, Police Regional Office 6, Bureau of Fire Protection-Region 6 and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology gathered Friday, Aug. 14, for a regional poster campaign.
The ceremonial posting of campaign materials was held at the PRO-6 headquarters in Camp Martin Delgado.
The DILG has been leading efforts to raise awareness of the hotline because many Filipinos remain unaware that they can call a single number for police assistance, medical emergencies, fires and other emergency services.
Juan Jovian Ingeniero, DILG-6 regional director, said posters in malls and other public places still list several telephone numbers for different emergencies.
“With the Unified 911, there’s a common point of access sa iba’t ibang emergency or call for assistance. There’s one recognizable emergency hotline where the public could seek the right help at the right time,” he said.
Ingeniero said the idea behind Unified 911 is simple: People should know where to turn during an emergency.
“Dapat reflex na. Kapag may emergency, tawag kaagad sa 911,” he said.
The DILG launched Unified 911 nationwide on Sept. 11, 2025, consolidating more than 30 local emergency numbers into a single hotline.
The system connects callers with police, fire, medical, disaster response and other emergency services, according to the DILG.
“Our people must know about it. This campaign carry an important advocacy na kapag emergency, mayrooon silang matatawagan, may pupuntahan, at may tutugon,” Ingeniero said.
He said the campaign should ensure that people know how to access and properly use the Unified 911 service.
“It must be felt on the ground, on the grassroots level,” he said.
The Unified 911 Satellite Command Center for Western Visayas was launched June 4 at the Leganes Fire Station in Leganes, Iloilo.
The facility was among four satellite command centers activated simultaneously to reduce response delays caused by distance and language barriers.
The other centers are in Batac City, Ilocos Norte; Cauayan City, Isabela; and Tacloban City, according to the Philippine Information Agency.
The free hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Operators at the Western Visayas center are trained to handle calls in local languages, including Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a.
Since June 4, the center has received and responded to 258 emergency calls, Tuaño said.
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