The Department of the Interior and Local Government said the systems upgrade done in September to the DILG Unified 911 Hotline has drastically reduced the number of prank and fraudulent calls to just 0.17 percent this year.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, in a speech during the 24th Emergency 911 Commission Conference, said the upgraded Unified 911 system successfully handled 872,586 of the 884,809 calls from Sept. 8 to 24 – achieving an efficiency rate of 98.62 percent.
Of the total calls, Remulla said 1,495 were considered prank while another 12,223 were listed as dropped or abandoned.
Remulla said the sharp decline in prank calls is largely credited to system modernization, which now includes a geolocation tracking capability and an active caller directory that deprioritizes repeat prank callers and improves caller verification.
He added that the reduction in the number of prank calls this year is a major milestone in public safety communications, when compared to last year’s record.
According to the Philippine National Police, the drop in the number of prank calls resulted in a 400-percent increase in legitimate 911 calls requesting assistance from the PNP.
In its report, the PNP said the legitimate calls for police assistance rose from 4,634 to 19,761 – all of which were given the proper response.
Remulla reiterated his reminder for the public to use the hotline responsibly, warning that prank calls can delay or block life-saving emergency response.
He also stressed the need to link the National ID and SIM registration systems to the 911 system to further deter fraudulent or prank calls.
The DILG continues to expand the Unified 911 system by connecting with the dashboards and helpline of the Department of Health and Council for the Welfare of Children, respectively.
Remulla said the milestone reflects the government’s commitment to deliver a public service that works where it matters most, in support of President Marcos’ call for a faster, smarter and more compassionate Bagong Pilipinas.