THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officially launched the country’s first Regional Command Center as part of the new Unified 911 initiative in Cebu City on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
The Regional Command Center will act as the central hub for coordinating emergency responses throughout the region. The Unified 911 functions as a centralized hotline, consolidating over 30 local emergency numbers to enhance and streamline emergency response coordination.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla committed to making the new system more language-sensitive and inclusive. Regional and Satellite Command Centers will be established nationwide to provide emergency responses in various native languages across different regions of the Philippines.
“Being Filipino does not mean you are only Tagalog, being Filipino does not mean you are only from Manila,” said Remulla. “Being Filipino means that we all respect each other.”
He emphasized the importance of giving equal attention to Cebu as is given to Metro Manila, asserting that the Philippines is a unified nation and that all Filipinos are interconnected.
As part of the modernization, Remulla announced “Skynet,” a new system of long-range drones designed to patrol cities around the clock.
He emphasized that once a 911 call is made, the drones will respond immediately to assess and report the situation.
Additionally, he committed to delivering 200 new police vehicles, along with new firetrucks and police motorcycles, by January 2026.
The modernized version of the Unified 911 was preliminarily introduced at the National Command Center in collaboration with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), PLDT and other relevant agencies.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro expressed her gratitude for the coordination and support for every Filipino life, emphasizing her commitment to prioritizing the safety of the people in Cebu Province.
“This means faster response, clear communication and stronger connection between our frontliners, our local government units and our people,” said Baricuatro.
The launch event was attended by various mayors from Cebu, officials from the PNP, the BFP and other government agencies. / Bryce Ken Abellon, USJ-R intern