The local government provides transport mobility to the Iloilo City Police Office in this undated photo. Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Friday (Feb. 8, 2025) urged provincial governors to acquire motorcycles for local police to ensure immediate response to incidents reported through the country’s 911 emergency hotline. (Photo courtesy of Iloilo City LGU)
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has called on provincial governors to procure motorcycles for local police forces, ensuring quicker responses to emergency calls made through the country’s 911 hotline.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized the importance of this initiative during the 7th General Assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines in Pasig City on Friday. He explained that motorcycles would allow police officers to immediately verify emergency reports, especially since 60 percent of 911 calls are pranks.
“I have only one request: Buy motorcycles and provide them to the police so they can be the first to verify whether a call is legitimate or not,” Remulla said.
He stressed that this would be a small but crucial investment for local governments to prevent the misuse of government resources.
According to Remulla, the national government will finance the launch of the nationwide integrated 911 emergency response system. He revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had already allocated additional funds in the national budget to support this program.
However, he urged local government units (LGUs) to do their part by ensuring that police officers have access to motorcycles.
“The only investment required from LGUs is to equip the police with motorcycles for first response so they can immediately assess the situation,” he said.
Emergency response upgrades
Beyond police mobility, Remulla announced that firetrucks and ambulances will be deployed to municipalities to enhance emergency response capabilities further.
“911 is useless if people call but there is no response. It would be like filing a complaint without action. We need to empower LGUs to ensure they can respond effectively,” he added.
The DILG plans to launch the integrated 911 emergency response system by June, starting in Greater Manila, Cebu, and Mindanao.
Originally replacing the 117 emergency hotline in 2016, the 911 system serves as the central emergency response platform for incidents requiring police assistance, fire services, medical emergencies, search and rescue operations, and cases involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.
