THE city government is developing a mobile application to help Dabawenyos access Central 911 services faster, a city councilor said.
Councilor Bonz Andre Militar, chair of the Committee on Information Technology, said the app will allow users to request assistance without making a call. The system will use geotagging and require photo uploads to verify emergencies and filter out prank reports.
“Kay kung calls man gyud invalidate gyud na nila kung tinuod ba gyud ni or dili pero naa gyud times gyud nagpadala og ambulance pag abot didto nagkatawa lang ang nag call (Calls are verified, but there are times responders still dispatch an ambulance only to find the caller joking),” Militar said, partly in Cebuano, during a media interview on April 21 at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Militar said the city will roll out the app once it finalizes key features and completes the required ordinance. He clarified that the existing call-based Central 911 system will remain in place.
He said the app will help responders locate incidents more quickly through geotagging.
Militar also addressed concerns about emergency calls being routed to the national 911 system, which can delay response. He said the city has coordinated with telecommunications companies to fix the issue so calls within Davao go directly to the local Central 911.
“Gi-correct na pud with the help of our telcos kay ngano naay ing-ato nga nahitabo (We have corrected this with the help of our telcos),” he said.
Some residents earlier reported that their emergency calls were answered in Tagalog, raising concerns about delays.
The proposed Davao Smart Emergency Response and Locator–Computer-Aided Response and Emergency Dispatch (Seral-Cared) system aims to reduce prank calls and ease call congestion.
Data from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office show Central 911 receives thousands of calls daily, but only 30 to 40 are legitimate.
Under the ordinance passed on third and final reading in November 2025, prank callers will face escalating penalties: a written warning and orientation for the first offense; a ₱2,000 fine or eight hours of community service for the second; and a ₱5,000 fine or up to 30 days in jail for repeat violations. Parents or guardians will be liable for minors’ offenses, with additional civil or criminal charges possible. RGP
