City hotline in Oro mulled

THE City Council of Cagayan de Oro is mulling to acquire a special telephone number as a city hotline to be assigned by local telephone companies.

City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, chair of the City Council committee on police, fire and public safety, said the council and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) headed by regional director Ted Buenavista are now preparing the guidelines and protocol in the establishment of a three or four digit hotline number for the city.

Nacaya said it was Mayor Vicente Emano who filed a request for a hotline number last year.

“We were requested by Director Buenavista to submit the preferred three or four digit numbers in three sets. But we should still discuss this with the telecommunication operators,” he said.

Nacaya added that they are still negotiating with local landline providers and cellular network companies to interconnect the common numbers to be used as emergency line.

“If the project will materialize, the hotline numbers will facilitate information relay for all kinds of emergencies and services that any individual may need whether police, medical, rescue, fire and even public complaints,” he said.

Nacaya said the City Government will host the facility and transmit the call to concerned agencies for easier and faster response just like the 911 hotline number in other countries.

He added that the hotline numbers will also serve as part of the preparation of whatever disasters and danger that might come in the city.

“We hope that telecommunication companies would participate by attending to our request and make this project come to reality,” Nacaya said. (NJM)