(UPDATE) STARTING Sept. 11, Filipinos will only need to dial one number in times of crisis: 911.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday announced the nationwide launch of Unified 911, a single emergency hotline that will replace more than 30 fragmented local hotlines.

Officials said the move delivers on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive under the Bagong Pilipinas campaign to make communities safer and emergency responses faster.

“For too long, callers were left guessing which hotline to call, leading to delays that cost lives,” DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said. “Unified 911 should not just be a hotline. It is a lifeline. Every second matters, every call matters, every life matters.”

The new system will connect the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, medical services, and local disaster responders through a single integrated network.

The service will be free, available 24/7, and language-sensitive, capable of handling calls in Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Waray, Tausug, and other Philippine languages.

Dial 911: New nationwide emergency hotline to go live on Sept. 11

Trained operators will assure callers with one standard message: “Help is on the way.”

The government has set a five-minute target response time, which officials said will be made possible by real-time coordination between agencies.

The DILG said Unified 911 is not merely a technological fix but a symbol of the administration’s promise that public safety is the foundation of stronger communities.

“Unified 911 is the nation’s single number, and the government’s single promise,” Remulla said. “When danger strikes, help will come.”

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