In support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directives during his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla pledged a faster and more accessible emergency response with the rollout of the unified 911 system across the Philippines.

“Makakaasa kayo na pagdating ng Setyembre, magkakaroon na tayo ng unified 911 system na covered ang buong bansa,” said Remulla.

The system guarantees a five-minute response time from key agencies including the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). “Five minutes ang response time, guaranteed ng PNP, BFP — para sa ambulansya, fire trucks, at mga pulis,” he emphasized.

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

The announcement came during the Post-SONA Discussion on Environmental Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction held Tuesday at the Makabagong San Juan National Government Center.

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 said.

Meanwhile, the DILG Chief underscored the importance of a unified, whole-of-nation approach in the declaration of work and class suspensions during emergencies. He said that while many local governments act promptly, some delays have led the government to authorize the DILG in issuing suspension announcements.

He said that because of this new authority, the Department’s followers on social media increased to 1.2 million, reflecting public demand for timely and reliable information.

Original Article At: https://dilg.gov.ph/news/Remulla-Unified-911-System-to-Launch-Nationwide-by-September-15/NC-2025-1123