MORE than 5.2 million emergency calls were placed to the government’s Unified 911 Hotline from January to April this year, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Sunday.
Citing data from the Emergency 911 National Call Center, the DILG said 5,251,754 calls were received during the four-month period, or an average of over one million calls each month.
It also noted fewer prank and fraudulent calls after a series of system enhancements, including measures that block AI-generated and automated nuisance calls.
Several recent incidents were cited by the department to demonstrate how the emergency hotline has been used in real-life emergencies.
In Naic, Cavite, a resident identified as Antonio Mariñas contacted 911 after witnessing a motorcycle crash. Personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office responded and transported the injured victims to a medical facility.
In Iloilo City, Jonald Mucho called the hotline after spotting an intoxicated man attempting to jump from an elevated area. Authorities arrived in time to prevent the incident from escalating, and the individual was later endorsed to barangay officials for further intervention.
Another emergency call came from Camarines Sur, where Ely Panga requested immediate medical assistance after a passenger inside a Philippine National Police armored vehicle suffered a heart attack. Responders from the Pili Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office brought the victim to the Bicol Medical Center.