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Monday, September 06, 2004
P5.50 call fee imposed on 117 to deter prank calls
THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the region will soon be imposing a call fee to the emergency hotline number 117.
The P5.50 per call fee has already been implemented in the Greater Manila Area.
Making a call to 117 has been free of charge since its establishment in October last year.
DILG information officer Maricris Rimando, however, clarified that Baguio and the nearby Blist areas have not yet adopted the scheme as they are still awaiting a memorandum for the imposition of the same.
She also said DILG has yet to enter into an agreement with the local telephone companies regarding the call fee.
Rimando explained the imposition of the P5.50 call fee is one of the department's moves to minimize the number of prank calls being received by the hotline number.
This developed as she disclosed that only 25 percent of the total calls of patrol 117 is considered legal. The rest are mere prank calls.
She added all telephone networks would be imposing the same rates.
Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Marius Corpus clarified the amount to be generated from the call fee will not be for the benefit of the government or the department.
He said the collection would be deposited under the Foundation for Crime Prevention, which would be appropriated for the maintenance of the 117 just the same.
FPC is composed of private sectors, which includes the Philippine Long Distance Company, Bankers Association of the Philippines, and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.
Of the P5.50 that will be charged per call to the hotline number, 30 percent will go to manpower, 20 percent each will be allocated for maintenance and administrative expenses, and 10 percent each will go to training, networking, and value added tax.
"Everything will go to the special account under the FCP and will be used to further enhance the operations of 117. Never, in any way, will the government or the department benefit and get a single centavo from this scheme," Corpus said.
He explained that in the past, funds for the operations of 117 have been sustained through fund raising drives by the FPC and dole-outs from benefactors, corporate sponsors and donors, and from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
"With the system upgrade, however, neither the government nor the FCP can sustain the upkeep of the system in a professional and efficient manner. Hence, we sought public support for 117 to be a self-sustaining helpline system," Corpus added. (Jane Cadalig)
(September 6, 2004 issue)
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