AN OFFICIAL from Central 911 clarified that there has been no formal coordination with their office regarding the soon-to-be-launched Unified 911 Emergency System.
Lyndon Leovic Ancajas, acting head of the Law Enforcement, Communication, and Rescue Division (LECRD) of Central 911 and overall training supervisor of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said they have not received direct communication from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), despite reports that the national emergency system will launch between August and September 2025.
A June 20 article from the Daily Tribune quoted DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who said the revitalized national 911 Emergency System is expected to be fully operational by July 2025 in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
However, Ancajas said the announcement may refer to Davao Region, not Davao City, which has had an active 911 system since 2002.
“Maybe on their part, maybe just something to coordinate, link, baka ganon lang pero as to revitalize or something, I don’t see the need for it to revitalize,” Ancajas told SunStar Davao on Thursday, June 6, 2025, at the City Mayor’s Office.
He acknowledged that the national effort may involve connecting existing local systems to a centralized network, but emphasized that Davao City’s 911 already operates independently and efficiently.
“Here, when you dial 911, you get a local response. In some areas, the call goes to Manila first before being routed back locally—that takes more time,” he said.
To recall, the DILG had previously stated that LGUs will serve as local dispatch centers once the national system becomes fully operational, given that many already have existing emergency response hubs.
Davao City’s 911 was launched in 2002 under then-mayor and former President Rodrigo Duterte, modeled after the U.S. 911 system. It centralized police, medical, rescue, and K9 services into a single hotline for faster and more coordinated responses.
The system currently operates five substations in Baganihan, Calinan, Toril, Panacan, and Cabantian, with plans to expand to Lasang and Malabog.
In 2016, Central 911 served as the model for the National Emergency Hotline and has since earned multiple recognitions, including the Gawad KALASAG Hall of Fame Award in 2024, the highest honor for LGUs in disaster risk reduction and emergency response. RGP